Ranunculus sceleratus – Celery-leaved Buttercup

Celery-leaved buttercup is a native annual with a short, stout and glossy stem that grows up to 60cm tall. Its three-lobed leaves are attached to the stem by a long, glossy stalk that flattens and broadens towards its base giving it a passing resemblence to a stick of celery, hence the common name. The small but typically buttercup flowers are clustered into much branched inflorescences and bloom from May to September. NB Ranunculus sceleratus is given the common name Celery-leaved crowsfoot in some older books.

Habitat Information
Celery-leaved buttercup is a summer or winter annual of wet, bare, fertile mud and shallow water, particularly at sites where livestock come to drink and poach the ground. It is also salt-tolerant and often found on grazed estuarine marshes. As an annual, Celery-leaved buttercup is entirely dependent upon seed for regeneration and under ideal conditions each plant can produce in excess of 50000. These seeds can remain viable in the soil for a long time and plants can re-appear following disturbance after many years of absence.

Growing Information
Easily grown from seed sown at any time of the year. Needs plenty of bare, wet mud.