Ranunculus carolinianus: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eastern Canada and U.S.A.
Plant Profile: Ranunculus carolinianus
Taxonomy: Ranunculus carolinianusNames
Carolina Buttercup
Phonetic Spelling:ra-NUN-ku-lus kair-oh-lin-ee-AY-nuss
Genus:Ranunculus
Species:carolinianus
Family:Ranunculaceae
Carolina Buttercup is a native winter annual weed or a short-lived perennial plant. It typically thrives in low woodlands and moist thickets, often appearing in disturbed environments. This plant propagates by spreading along the ground and establishing roots at its nodes.
For additional details on Ranunculus, please refer to further resources.
Ranunculus carolinianus Feature Summary
Ranunculus carolinianus Image Gallery
Tags
#weed
#weedy
#winter annual weed
#NC native
#native weed
#songbirds
#problem for cats
#pollinators
#problem for dogs
#bee friendly
#problem for horses
Similar Plants
Ranunculus carolinianus Feature Summary
Attributes
Eastern Canada and U.S.A.
Seeds are eaten by birds and bees and beetles pollinate the flowers
Perennial
Annual
Fruit
Fruit a head of small, dry achenes
Achene
Flowers
Flower yellow petals with short reflexed sepals, thimblelike, often shiny.
Gold/Yellow
Spring
Summer
Colored Sepals
Leaves
Palmately lobed or divided, alternate, deeply three-parted leaves; leaflets are 1-2 inches long, smooth or appressed hairy terminal segment borne on smooth or appressed hairy stalks
Green
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Alternate
Smooth
1-3 inches
Poisonous to Humans
Ingestion causes burning of the mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting, depression, anorexia, hypersalivation, wobbly gait, and bloody diarrhea. Skin redness, burning sensation, and blisters following contact with cell sap.
Protoanemonin, released from the glycoside ranunculin.
Seeds
Leaves
Stems
Sap/Juice
Flowers
Bark
Fruits
Roots
Whole Plant Traits
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Moist
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Stem
Green
Landscape
Naturalized Area
Problem for Cats
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Ranunculus carolinianus Image Gallery
Ranunculus carolinianus Attributes
Ranunculus carolinianus: Wildlife Value
Seeds are eaten by birds and bees and beetles pollinate the flowers
Ranunculus carolinianus: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Ranunculus carolinianus Fruit
Ranunculus carolinianus: Fruit Description
Fruit a head of small, dry achenes
Ranunculus carolinianus: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Ranunculus carolinianus Flowers
Ranunculus carolinianus: Flower Description
Flower yellow petals with short reflexed sepals, thimblelike, often shiny.
Ranunculus carolinianus: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Ranunculus carolinianus: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ranunculus carolinianus: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Ranunculus carolinianus: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Ranunculus carolinianus Leaves
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Description
Palmately lobed or divided, alternate, deeply three-parted leaves; leaflets are 1-2 inches long, smooth or appressed hairy terminal segment borne on smooth or appressed hairy stalks
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Color
Green
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Ranunculus carolinianus: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Ranunculus carolinianus: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ranunculus carolinianus Poisonous to Humans
Ranunculus carolinianus: Poison Symptoms
Ingestion causes burning of the mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting, depression, anorexia, hypersalivation, wobbly gait, and bloody diarrhea. Skin redness, burning sensation, and blisters following contact with cell sap.
Ranunculus carolinianus: Poison Toxic Principle
Protoanemonin, released from the glycoside ranunculin.
Ranunculus carolinianus: Poison Severity
High
Low
Medium
Ranunculus carolinianus: Causes Contact Dermatitis
No
Yes
Ranunculus carolinianus: Poison Part
Bark
Flowers
Fruits
Leaves
Roots
Sap/Juice
Seeds
Stems
Ranunculus carolinianus Whole Plant Traits
Ranunculus carolinianus: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Ranunculus carolinianus: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Ranunculus carolinianus: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Ranunculus carolinianus Cultural Conditions
Ranunculus carolinianus: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Ranunculus carolinianus: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Ranunculus carolinianus: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Ranunculus carolinianus: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Ranunculus carolinianus Stem
Ranunculus carolinianus: Stem Color
Green
Ranunculus carolinianus: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Ranunculus carolinianus Landscape
Ranunculus carolinianus: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Ranunculus carolinianus: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
