Herb: Creeping Buttercup


Latin name: Ranunculus repens


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Medicinal use of Creeping Buttercup:

The entire plant is analgesic and rubefacient. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been used in the treatment of sores, muscular aches and rheumatic pains. Some caution is advised in the use of this plant, see the notes above on toxicity.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
30 cm
(11 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
May to
August

Habitat of the herb:

Wet meadows, pastures, woods, dune slacks etc. A common and rampant weed, avoiding acid soils.

Edible parts of Creeping Buttercup:

Leaves - cooked and used as a pot-herb. A famine food, used when all else fails, and I would rather give it a miss even then! See the notes above on toxicity. Root - must be dried beforehand and thoroughly cooked. Personally, I would rather give this one a miss, see the notes above on toxicity.

Propagation of the herb:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. A very common weed, it doesn"t really need any help from us. Division in spring. Very easy, though probably totally unnecessary, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of Creeping Buttercup:

Wet meadows, pastures, woods, dune slacks etc. A common and rampant weed, avoiding acid soils.

Known hazards of Ranunculus repens:

All parts of the plant are poisonous, the toxins being destroyed by heat or by drying. The plant also has a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin.

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future.