# Creeping buttercup (*Ranunculus repens*) Creeping buttercup is a bright yellow flower that loves to grow close to the ground. It often spreads across fields and gardens, making them look sunny and cheerful! - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate - **Snaps:** 6 - **Habitat:** Wetlands ![Creeping buttercup](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Creeping_butercup_close_800.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Creeping_butercup_close_800.jpg) ## Appearance The Creeping buttercup has bright, glossy, golden-yellow, cup-shaped flowers. Its dark green leaves are deeply lobed and often feature pale or silvery markings. It grows close to the ground, forming dense mats with its spreading stems. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ranunculales - **Family:** Ranunculaceae - **Genus:** Ranunculus ## Interesting facts - Even if mowed down, this plant can quickly regrow from its creeping stems and roots. - Its shiny petals act like tiny mirrors, making the flower appear extra bright to attract insects. - The buttercup's name might come from the legend that children hold them under chins to see if they 'like butter'. - You can find these plants almost anywhere in the world, thriving even in lawns and sidewalks! ## Special abilities - **Ground Gripper:** Creeping buttercup can spread far and wide using 'runners' called stolons, rooting as they go to conquer new ground. - **Tough Survivor:** It can thrive in wet, compacted soil where many other plants struggle, making it a very resilient species. - **Shiny Lure:** Its super glossy petals reflect UV light, making them extra visible to pollinating insects like bees and flies. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 10-50 cm - **Spread:** 30-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 1.5-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Visits flowers for nectar and pollen. - **Pollinates:** Drone fly (*Eristalis tenax*) — Feeds on nectar, aiding in pollination. - **Eaten by:** [Leopard slug](https://www.snappit.app/explore/leopard-slug) (*Limax maximus*) — Slugs sometimes graze on the leaves. ## Traits - [Deciduous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/deciduous): Deciduous plants periodically shed all their leaves, typically during autumn or dry seasons. - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Rapid Growing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/rapid-growing): Rapid growing plants exhibit accelerated growth rates, quickly increasing in size and biomass within a short period. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 3/5 · Moderate Don't eat any part of this plant, as it can be harmful. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Creeping buttercup? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Creeping buttercup? 10-50 cm ### How wide does Creeping buttercup spread? 30-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on Creeping buttercup? 1.5-3 cm ### When does Creeping buttercup bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is Creeping buttercup edible? No ### Is Creeping buttercup toxic? Mild ### What is Creeping buttercup's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Sitka National Historical Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/sitka-national-historical-park) — US · National Park - [Fota Wildlife Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fota-wildlife-park) — Municipal District of Cobh, IE · Zoo - [Elwha Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/elwha-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site - [Quinault Rainforest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/quinault-rainforest) — Washington, US · Forest - [Volunteer Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/volunteer-park) — Washington, US · Park - [Be'er Sheva Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/beer-sheva-park) — Washington, US · Park [View all places to see Creeping buttercup](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/creeping-buttercup) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Creeping buttercup: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/creeping-buttercup)