Herb: Creeping Spearwort


Latin name: Ranunculus reptans


Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)



Edible parts of Creeping Spearwort:

Root - cooked. The roots have been baked and then dipped in oil before being eaten.

Description of the plant:



Plant:
Perennial


Height:
20 cm
(7 3/4 inch)

Flowering:
June to
August

Habitat of the herb:

A rare plant of lake margins in the Lake District and in Scotland.

Propagation of Creeping Spearwort:

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Division in spring. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.

Cultivation of the herb:

A rare plant of lake margins in the Lake District and in Scotland.

Medicinal use of Creeping Spearwort:

None known

Known hazards of Ranunculus reptans:

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.