Forum home› Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Creeping Buttercup - War or peace?

DaisyBinkDaisyBink Posts: 5
in Problem solving
We have a fair size garden and am clearing and prepping an around for some raised beds. It appears we have creeping buttercup and everywhere I look it’s there. 
I’ve been pulling out all runners and roots but wondering if I’m wasting my time if it’s so invasive? 
I can’t see it having much benefit to wildlife if it smothers everything else? 
Thoughts please 😊

Posts

  • Bee witchedBee witched Posts: 1,295
    Hi @Jessica Brink,

    I 'm happy for it to be in the lawns .... along with other pretty weeds/wildflowers like prunella.
    But I do weed it out of the borders or it would take over.

    I'm not prepared to use chemicals  ... and I quite like seeing the cheery yellow flowers in the lawns. 

    Bee x 
     image
    Gardener and beekeeper in beautiful Scottish Borders  

    A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I have it everywhere too, but it is a matter of balance. This garden seems to be  good habitat for many plants and those that like it often have to go on to my control list, which is getting longer by the week! It doesn't mean removing all of those plants, but I try to keep them within defined areas, and preventing a garden wide monoculture of whichever one is currently on top. (red campion this summer!)
    So creeping buttercups in my beds and borders come out, as they are a nuisance and of little benefit as you say, but I have left some to grow taller in odd places and with good soil they do make attractive plants that are enjoyed by insects. The best this year were in a spare plot in the veg garden and varied in colour from pale lemon yellow to amber, almost orange. I got them out before they went to seed and oddly, the well grown plants are easier to remove than the little squitty ones. :)
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    We have creeping buttercup and yes it does spread. I just keep it out of certain areas, where it doesn’t fit with the loom or colour scheme I want, and largely let it do it’s own thing in others.  It doesn’t seem to smother my other plants here but maybe my conditions aren’t as favourable as yours if you are having problems. It’s a good source of nectar for many pollinators, butterfly’s etc and short-tongues bees and is also a host for nematodes, bacteria etc. But I guess any monoculture is less advantageous than a mix of plants. 

    I usually have a blitz in Spring and Autumn when I try and control the numbers of all my self-seeders and spreaders - all wildlife friendly but equally “enthusiastic” (we have foxgloves, evening primrose, alkanet, ox eye daisies and buttercups). Otherwise I try and be fairly relaxed, as at least these all have pretty flowers (in my opionion) and if they are covering the soil then other less attractive weeds can’t grow.
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I rarely have it in borders as I have dense coverage, but I do have it on the front grass and it creeps across under the hedge. I  pull those bits out, but mowing mostly keeps it at bay well enough in the grass, or pulling odd bits out. The front grass mainly consisted of buttercups and dandelions when I moved in here.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DaisyBinkDaisyBink Posts: 5
    Thanks everyone for the helpful comments. Your approaches all make sense. I’ll contain it in specific areas and let nature be nature in other areas. 
    I think it would drive me round the bend if I tried to get it all by hand as not keen on spraying it. 

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    The one on the edge of my grass is stunted with small leaves.  whether it's due to mowing or a different variety, it suits me to leave it .
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • SueAtooSueAtoo Posts: 380
    I found it a nuisance in the lawn, mowing kept it low but it then being flat it "ran" and smothered the grass. Dug it up - now I've got wild flower seed to make a wild flower meadow - and it's got creeping buttercup seeds in it !!
    East Dorset, new (to me) rather neglected garden.
  • ManderMander Posts: 349
    I pull it up every now and then but I rather like the look of it so I have a designated pot where I have grown some on purpose. Usually I only find it between the patio stones. 
Sign In or Register to comment.