Hello Please could someone help me identify this rather attractive plant. I'm wondering if it's possibly a kind of geranium? I'm hoping it's not a weed, because it seems like a pleasant plant to have around. Thank you for any help.
This looks like a kind of buttercup, possibly creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens). So I suppose that it is weedy but I do not know whether there are any laws in your area against considering it perfectly acceptable in your garden if you like it. Does the plant form runners that grow roots at the nodes? Because that's what creeping buttercup does.
That's my guess, too: creeping buttercup, Ranunculus repens. Where I grew up in western Oregon it was a common roadside wildflower, especially in wet spots. Whether it's a weed depends on whether you like it.
Agree with Ranunculus repens. In Canada, an invasive alien weed. Even here in Britain (where it is a native species) it is widely regarded as a nuisance weed. Try to get rid of it if you can, but you probably won't be able to.
Looks like you have Duchesnia indica, Indian strawberry - the BAN of my garden. Here's my story: when I moved into this house in 1991, there was a small (36" x 36") patch of Duchesnia in my back yard. I didn't know what it was, but a neighbor told me it was "wild straberry", and indeed, to a non-weed puller, it could look like a small strawberry, it even has cute yellow flowers in May, followed by little red (tasteless) berries. And I used to cut my own grass (one acre), collect the cuttings, and dispose of them in a mulch pile. Then I got too old for that, and we now have a landscaper do it - but he does not collect the clippings, he BLOWS them. Which means, of course, that he blew tiny bits of Duchesnia all around. Leet me tell you, it loves my soil (slightly acid) and by now, it COVERS my one acre - COVERS IT! and it invades my beds, and has spread to any neighbor that does not use massive amounts of chemical weed killers on their lawn. I imagine that the clippings get on the landscaper's mowers, and he thereby spreads it around. Okay so it looks green in the summer, but in the winter it's a nasty shade of brown, making the yard look awful. SO I would suggest, if you have this stuff, get rid of it! Hand pulling is the best way I know, because I don't use chemicals. KH
The plant is not Duchesnea indica: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Duchesnea indica Duchesnea indica has strawberry-like leaves with three parts which are toothed but never deeply lobed or parted again as in Ranunculus repens: http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/Atlas/Atlas.aspx?sciname=Ranunculus repens The leaves of the two species look sufficiently different to be distinguishable on a photograph.
Thanks to everyone for your help. It's definitely a Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens), and yes, I checked and it does form runners that grow roots at the nodes. Thanks also KH for your input, I've seen Indian stawberry plants and they do look similar. I'm most impressed with this forum and with the quality of help available, so I'm afraid I'll be back with more questions quite soon. Thanks again!
Hi Newgardener, I too like butter cups, be be careful. It creeped into your yard and will creep ALL OVER your yard if you don't keep it in check. Figure out where you want it and keep it there. They are very hard to dig up and pulling them only takes the tops off. You can try pulling some up to get the idea, and don't worry, it will grow back. :) M.
To dig, loosen the soil first with a garden fork. This makes it more likely that you will get at least most of the root. :) Too, in the warmer summer months, R. repens seems to attract insects that are not necessarily desirable (leaf cutters, spit bugs, etc). There is a double variety/cultivar of Creeping buttercup that is more pleasing to the eye, cultivar Pleniflorus, which is less apt to be as invasive. I keep some of the single flowered variety that my Mom planted; but apart from her memory, a single flowered Ranunculus repens would not be a plant that I would encourage one to keep. Harry
Thanks again, I think I'd better treat it as a weed then and start digging it up and removing it quite regularly.
