Species Management and Control Information

Lesser Celandine
Ranunculus ficaria L.

Source: The following information is taken from a number of sources and those sources are identified at the beginning of the referenced information. The intent of this resource is to provide the user with as much of the information that exists for management and control of this species as is practical. It is important to note that new and improved methods are added regularly which will require you to visit the websites provided for updates on this information. Bibliographies and resources referenced by these sources are not included here, but are included at the websites from which this information was extracted.

READ THIS FIRST! Before administering any of the following management and control options, it is imperative that you are familiar with the background information provided under the General Management and Control Section. For additional, and potentially more current, information on management and control of this species, use the Mid-Atlantic Exotic Pest Plant Council (MA-EPPC) listserve or any of the other listserves identified in the Resource - Listserve section of this tutorial. You will find directions for subscribing to the list serve there. The MA-EPPC listserve has an archives feature that saves past discussions (beginning in 1999) about specific species control. These messages are at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ma-eppc/messages.

All information that follows in taken from the following resources:

Plant Conservation Alliance - Alien Plant Working Group - Weeds Gone Wild - Factsheet - Lesser Celandine - http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/rafi1.htm - Author: Jil M. Swearingen - December 3, 2001

GENERAL MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

Lesser celandine is very difficult to control but it can be managed with persistence over time using methods that are site appropriate. While manual methods are possible for some (small) infestations, the use of systemic herbicide kills the entire plant tip to root and minimizes soil disturbance.

MANUAL AND MECHANICAL CONTROL:

Manual: For small infestations, lesser celandine may be pulled up by hand or dug up using a hand trowel or shovel. It is very important to remove all bulblets and tubers.

Mechanical: If mechanical removal is to continue after dieback of the plants, individual plants or clumps will need to be marked with some sort of stakes or flagging because it will be impossible to relocate the plants otherwise. When conducting mechanical removal, care should be taken to minimize soil disturbance as much as possible. For this reason, mechanical control may be inappropriate for large infestations in high quality natural areas.

BIOCONTROL:

No biological control agents are currently available for lesser celandine

CHEMICAL CONTROL:

The window of opportunity for controlling lesser celandine is very short, due to its life cycle. In order to have the greatest negative impact to celandine and the least impact to desirable native wildflower species, herbicide should be applied in late winter-early spring (March through May). Apply a 1.5% rate of a 39 to 41% glyphosate isopropylamine salt (e.g., Rodeo for wetland areas) mixed with water and a non-ionic surfactant to foliage, avoiding application to anything but the celandine. Glyphosate is systemic; that is, the active ingredient is absorbed by the plant and translocated to the roots, eventually killing the entire plant. The full effect on the plant may take 1-2 weeks. Applications can be made during the winter season as long as the temperature is above about 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and no rain is anticipated within 12 hours. Because glyphosate is non-specific, spray should be controlled such that it touches only lesser celandine and does not drift onto desirable plants. To minimize impacts to sensitive-skinned frogs and salamanders, some experts recommend applying herbicide in March and then switching to manual methods.

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