Creeping spearwort
Ranunculus flammula · Aquatic plants
Flowers or seeds · Photo: Piermario Maculan / CC0
Also called Spearwort, Lesser spearwort
How to identify Creeping spearwort
- Narrow, lance shaped to threadlike leaves
- Small, glossy yellow buttercup flowers
- Creeping stems root at the nodes
- Low, under 1 foot
Similar plants
Other buttercups have divided leaves; water plantain seedlings lack yellow flowers.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Grows from spring, flowers June to August. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 45 F soil |
| Light | Full sun |
| Depth | Moist shoreline to about 1 foot of water |
| How it spreads | Creeping stems and seeds |
| Habitat | Muddy shores, lake margins and shallow ponds. |
Why it matters in a lake
Contains irritating compounds toxic to livestock.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Ranunculales |
| Family | Ranunculaceae |
| Scientific name | Ranunculus flammula |
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Baltic rushNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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Idaho / Wyoming (208) 501-4531Oregon (541) 280-0596