Ficaria verna (Lesser celandine) is a perennial ground-covering plant native to northern Europe, newly found to be invasive in the Great Lakes region. F. verna forms a dense mat in the early spring, outcompeting native ephemeral species, many of which are already threatened. It can be identified by its small (1-4 cm), lobed leaves growing in clusters with 7-12 petaled, glossy, yellow inflorescences (2-5 cm). After blooming, F. verna forms clusters of small bulblets and tubers which spread and easily propagate if disturbed. These two distribution methods make it an ideal species to spread along moving water (rivers, creeks) that pass through urban areas. There’s been a noticeable increase in finding Ficaria verna in residential lawns, and the question has been asked “how it got there, and what the best management practices for control?”.

This session will discuss methods of control and how we can prevent it from spreading even further.