# Greater celandine (*Chelidonium majus*) Greater celandine is a bright yellow flower that grows in gardens and along roadsides. Its leaves are big and green, and it can be found in many places during spring and summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 63 - **Habitat:** Urban areas - **Also known as:** Celandine, Swallowwort ![Greater celandine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Chelidonium_majus_bgiu.jpg&width=800) Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chelidonium_majus_bgiu.jpg) ## Appearance The Greater celandine has bright yellow, four-petaled cup-shaped flowers. Its deeply lobed, blue-green leaves are distinctive, and its stems exude a unique orange-yellow sap when broken, making it visually stand out. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ranunculales - **Family:** Papaveraceae - **Genus:** Chelidonium ## Interesting facts - Alchemists once sought its golden sap for making precious gold. - Ancient Greeks believed it bloomed exactly when swallows returned. - Each tiny seed has a tasty fat treat for ants to discover! - Its bright orange sap surprisingly glows under UV light! ## Special abilities - **Sap Shield:** Greater celandine can ooze bright orange-yellow sap that tastes bad to deter hungry animals from eating its leaves and stems. - **Ant Recruiters:** Greater celandine has special fatty appendages on its seeds that attract ants to carry and disperse them to new locations. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 30-100 cm - **Spread:** 30-60 cm - **Flower Size:** 2-3 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to mid-summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** High - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Collects nectar and pollen. - **Depends on:** Red ant (*Myrmica rubra*) — Disperses seeds with elaiosomes. - **Eats:** Celandine aphid (*Aphis chelidonii*) — Feeds on plant sap. ## Traits - [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. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [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. - [Ancient Lineage](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ancient-lineage): This trait signifies organisms belonging to a very old evolutionary group with ancestors dating back millions of years. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not touch or eat any plants without asking an adult first. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Greater celandine? 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 Greater celandine? 30-100 cm ### How wide does Greater celandine spread? 30-60 cm ### How big are the flowers on Greater celandine? 2-3 cm ### When does Greater celandine bloom? Late spring to mid-summer ### Is Greater celandine edible? No ### Is Greater celandine toxic? High ### What is Greater celandine's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Arden Park–East Boston Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arden-park-east-boston-historic-district) — Michigan, US · Historic District - [Awbury Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/awbury-arboretum) — Pennsylvania, US · Botanical Garden - [Bear Swamp](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-swamp) — Massachusetts, US · Nature Reserve - [Blackstone Boulevard–Cole Avenue–Grotto Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blackstone-boulevard-cole-avenue-grotto-avenue-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Broadway-Armory Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/broadway-armory-historic-district) — Rhode Island, US · Historic District - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Greater celandine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/greater-celandine) ## 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: [Greater celandine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/greater-celandine)