Creeping Buttercup
Ranunculus repens
Also listed as Ranunculastrum repens, Ranunculus infestus
Also known as Creeping Crowfoot, Double-flowered Creeping Buttercup
Climate Match for your location
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A low-growing perennial groundcover with bright yellow buttercup flowers and creeping runners that root at the nodes. Highly invasive in lawns and moist areas but useful for erosion control and naturalizing.
Why grow it
Creeping buttercup establishes quickly in wet, poorly drained soils where many groundcovers struggle, making it useful for erosion control on banks and in riparian areas. Its dense mat and rooting runners provide faster coverage than slower-spreading alternatives in moist conditions. However, gardeners seeking containable groundcovers may find cultivars of creeping Jenny or other spreading perennials easier to manage in mixed plantings.
Watch out for
This plant spreads vigorously and can be difficult to remove once established; runners that touch soil will root and extend the patch. In ornamental beds, regular deadheading or mowing may be needed to prevent self-seeding and unwanted spread to adjacent areas. Growth is especially rapid in consistently moist conditions, so site selection matters significantly for management.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
Native Range
Europe and temperate Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
A low-growing perennial groundcover with bright yellow buttercup flowers and creeping runners that root at the nodes. Highly invasive in lawns and moist areas but useful for erosion control and naturalizing.
Climate Match for your location
See how well Creeping Buttercup grows in your area.
Enter your ZIP code and we'll show you how this plant fits your local climate.
Why grow it
Creeping buttercup establishes quickly in wet, poorly drained soils where many groundcovers struggle, making it useful for erosion control on banks and in riparian areas. Its dense mat and rooting runners provide faster coverage than slower-spreading alternatives in moist conditions. However, gardeners seeking containable groundcovers may find cultivars of creeping Jenny or other spreading perennials easier to manage in mixed plantings.
Watch out for
This plant spreads vigorously and can be difficult to remove once established; runners that touch soil will root and extend the patch. In ornamental beds, regular deadheading or mowing may be needed to prevent self-seeding and unwanted spread to adjacent areas. Growth is especially rapid in consistently moist conditions, so site selection matters significantly for management.
Overview
- Form
- Growth Rate
- Size
- Dormancy
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
Native Range
Europe and temperate Asia
Seasonality
Bloom Season
Season of Interest
Ground cover
Low spreading plants that carpet the soil.
Succession Role
Tolerances & Soil
Flood Tolerance
Deer Resistance
Inferred from USDA browse palatability
pH Range
Soil Texture
Establishment & Care
- Establishment
- Maintenance
- Propagation
Similar ground covers you might consider:
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