Fig Buttercup - Ficaria verna

A low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family. It has fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers with 7-12 bright yellow, glossy petals. Once established, it spreads rapidly, forming a solid green blanket across the ground through which native plants are unable to penetrate.

It is native to Europe and west Asia. It has been introduced in North America, where it is known by the common name Fig Buttercup and considered an invasive species. The plant is poisonous if ingested raw and potentially fatal to grazing animals and livestock such as horses, cattle, and sheep.

Habitat: Stream bank