Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens).
Creeping Buttercup (Ranunculus repens) is a common perennial weed that you find in turf and lawns, and in particular in wet, poorly drained soil. It spreads rapidly (up to 4 m2 in a year) by stolons, which are long runners at the soil surface that root at each node. Creeping Buttercup is a good indicator weed of poorly drained soils.
Creeping buttercup (Ranunculus repens) is a significant environmental weed in VIC, and an environmental weed in NSW and the ACT.
After you read this, you will be able to:
- Identify Creeping Buttercup.
- Know its habitat.
- Know the best ways to control this weed.
Why is Creeping Buttercup a Problem Weed?
- It quickly displaces native plants, and crowds them out.
- Creeping Buttercup depletes Potassium in the soil.
- It reduces pasture productivity.
- Impedes water flow in drains.
- Is toxic to stock.
Creeping Buttercup is poisonous, and contains a compound called ranunculin. When you crush or bruise the leaves, ranunculin breaks down to form an acrid, toxic oil that causes dermatitis.
You see any symptoms within an hour of contact with Ranunculus repens. The symptoms include burning and itching as well as rashes and blisters. If you chew the leaves, blisters form on the lips and face. If you swallow it, severe stomach irritation follows, along with dizziness, spasms, and paralysis. The toxic oil is also an eye irritant.
The distribution map for Creeping Buttercup is courtesy of The Atlas of Living Australia.
Key Takeaways.
- Creeping Buttercup is poisonous.
- It spreads by seed and stolons.
- It indicates poor soil drainage.
- You need both cultural and chemical means to control this weed.
- You get the best results with 2 or 3-way mixes that contain 2,4-D, MCPA, and Dicamba.
How to Identify Creeping Buttercup.
New plants form a rosette of leaves and stems, and some stems act as stolons. The stolons grow along the soil surface, and produce shoots and roots at the nodes.
Category: Broadleaf (Dicot).
Photosynthetic Pathway: Creeping Buttercup is a C3 Weed.
Flower: The flowers are shiny yellow with five overlapping petals, that are 2 to 3 cm in diameter. You see the flowers over the Spring and Summer.
Height: Creeping Buttercup is up to 50 cm tall.
Leaf length: The compound, basal leaves of Ranunculus repens are on a 4 to 20 cm long petiole. This divides into three broad leaflets 1.5 to 8 cm long, that are shallow to deeply lobed, and on stalks. As you move up the stem the leaves become smaller, with narrower leaflets and these may be simple or lance shaped.
Reproduction: Creeping Buttercup spreads by seeds and hairy, creeping stolons. Once a new plant develops vegetatively the stolon dies, which allows it to grow independently.
Individual Creeping Buttercup plants rarely survive longer than about 18 months, but by then each plant will have produced several new daughter plants.
Seeds disperse in water or by animals.
Comments: Both the stems and the leaves of Creeping Buttercup have a cover of fine hairs.
Habitat: This weed is often found in poorly drained, wet soils, and sunny or shaded areas. It favours disturbed and nutrient rich soils.
For more information on weeds check out our weed ID Chart.
How to Control Creeping Buttercup.
You can control Creeping Buttercup by cultural and chemical means, but the best way to manage this weed is if you adopt an integrated approach. Autumn is the perfect time carry out control of this perennial weed.
Cultural Control of Creeping Buttercup:
- This is a shallow-rooted weed. This means that you can dig it up by hand, but you must make sure that you remove all root and stem fragments.
- It is easier to remove Creeping Buttercup over the Autumn and Spring when the soil is moist.
- If you improve the turf density it reduces Creeping Buttercup infestations.
- Fertilize properly.
- Mow at the right height. Creeping Buttercup tolerates being closely mown because the stolons tend to grow very close to the ground. However, although mowing does not directly control Creeping Buttercup, if you rake before you mow it lifts the stolons and prostrate stems.
- Improve the drainage, and do not over water.
- Use turf grasses that are adapted to the site conditions.
Chemical Control of Creeping Buttercup.
- Treat Creeping Buttercup when it is actively growing from the Spring to the Autumn.
- Herbicide treatments are less effective if the plants are under stress due to a lack of water.
- Be aware that even when you treat this weed with a herbicide, Creeping Buttercup tends to regrow. This means that you must be ready re-treat if you see any signs of regrowth.
Post Emergent Control of Creeping Buttercup.
You can control or suppress this weed with post emergent herbicides.
Post emergent options for Creeping Buttercup should contain combinations of 2,4-D, MCPA, Prosulfuron and Dicamba. Suitable options include:
- Casper Turf Herbicide. Do not use on Buffalo grass.
- ProForce Warhead.
- ProForce Weed Blast MA
- Dicamba. Do not use on Buffalo grass. and
- Contra M. Do not use on Buffalo grass.
Table of Post Emergent Herbicide Rates for Creeping Buttercup.
Product | Active | Chemical Group | Rate/Ha | Comments | ||||
2,4-D | 2,4-D | 4 | 1.8-3.2 | Wet foliage thoroughly. DO NOT mow lawn for 1 week before and at least 1 weed after application. DO NOT use on Buffalo grass (WA only). | ||||
Casper | Prosulfuron + Dicamba | 2 and 4 | 800g-1Kg | Apply from Autumn to Spring. Use high rates in cool months or if high weed pressure. Control takes 4 to 6 weeks. Use an NIS at a rate of 0.25 to 0.5% v/v. | ||||
Contra M. | Dicamba + MCPA | 4 | 6.5 L | Apply in 250-400L water. DO NOT use on Buffalo grass. After use do not mow for 2 days before or after application or fertilize within two weeks. | ||||
Dicamba | Dicamba | 4 | 1.2L + 3.2L of 2,4-D Amine 625g/L | Use a minimum of 1000L/Ha water. Do not spray on Buffalo or Bent Grass. | ||||
MCPA | MCPA | 4 | 930ml -1.8L | Apply in high volume to actively growing weeds. DO NOT mow for 2 days before application. Some transitory damage may occur to fine turf grasses | ||||
Warhead | MCPA + Clopyralid + Diflufenican | 4 + 12 | 5 L | You may see discolouration on kikuyu, carpet grass and Queensland blue. Avoid overlapping. Use an NIS. | ||||
Weed Blast MA | Bromoxynil + MCPA | 6 + 4 | 3-6L | Apply in a minimum of 500L/Ha water. DO NOT mow for 2 days after treatment. | ||||
Non Selective Control of Creeping Buttercup.
Non selective options include:
- Glyphosate (Rapid Fire 800). Creeping buttercup is tolerant of low rates of Glyphosate.
- Numchuk Quad and
- Cortex Duo.
If you use Glyphosate to control Creeping Buttercup, and water quality is an issue then we recommend the use of ProForce Manta Ray.
