Host an Event Volunteer Join Tickets

Support the plant database you love!

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

Help us grow by giving to the Plant Database Fund or by becoming a member

Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?

Share

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants

Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Search Smarty Plants
See a list of all Smarty Plants questions

Please forgive us, but Mr. Smarty Plants has been overwhelmed by a flood of mail and must take a break for awhile to catch up. We hope to be accepting new questions again soon. Thank you!

Need help with plant identification, visit the plant identification page.

 
rate this answer
Not Yet Rated

Monday - May 28, 2012

From: Mechanicsville, MD
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Invasive Plants, Managing Roadsides, Non-Natives, Plant Laws, Planting, Propagation, Poisonous Plants, Wildflowers
Title: Digging wild buttercup from roadside in Mechanicsville MD
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Mr. Smarty Plants, is it illegal to dig out wild buttercup in Maryland? I see them along the dirt road or just in the ditch. Since buttercup considered weed, I'm wondering what the law say about this. Thank you!

ANSWER:

We (excuse the pun) dug around quite a bit trying to find official word on disturbing roadside wildflowers in Maryland. We found this one website Wildflowers from the Maryland State Highway Administration. We know that in Texas, digging or gathering plants on a roadside is discouraged in the interest of safety, and that plants or seeds may not be removed from private land without the express permission of the landowner.

Now that we are pretty sure the State Troopers won't come after you, we will address this question in a different way. Are you sure you WANT to dig up and transplant "wild buttercups?" Let's talk about the common name.

We really hate plant common names. The Ranunculus (buttercup) genus has 41 species in our Native Plant Database. None of them have the common name "wild," but at least we are close. All buttercups are species of the genus Ranunculus (buttercup). So, there are 41 that we know of that are native to North America, and lots more that we haven't identified or are hybrids or non-natives. It is thought that many non-native wildflowers have come to North America in "wildflower seed mixes."

By various means, we finally decided that there was a good chance that what you are looking at in Maryland is Ranunculus repens, which is native to Europe, Asia and northwestern Africa. At the Lady Bird Wildflower Center, we encourage the growth, protection and propagation of plants native not only to North America but to the areas in which they grow naturally. Native plants are already accustomed by centuries of experience to climates, rainfall and soils. We researched on that particular species to see what good and bad qualities it has.

University of Tennessee Extension Buttercup and Thistle in Your Pasture

King County, WA Noxious Weeds - Creeping Buttercup

Dave's Garden Ranunculus repens (Creeping Buttercup) with 8 negative comments on invasivness.

Our reading of this is that the "wild buttercup" would be only too happy to move to your garden, and Highway Department would not care at all, but you (and your neighbors) could be very sorry.

Compare these pictures with the ones you are seeing on the roadsides to see if that is what it is.

 

More Wildflowers Questions

Native xeric grasses for Colorado
June 24, 2010 - Tired of mowing - replacing western exposure full sun lawn with native xeric grass. Please explain the pros and cons of Bouteloua Gracilis (Blue Grama) and Bouteloua Dactyloides Bella (Bella Blue Gra...
view the full question and answer

Bluebonnets in Vermont
December 18, 2011 - Hi - I visited my sister in early November and we were given a sample of bluebonnet seeds. I live in Vermont, though and did not try to plant them in the ground here, as I believe they will not surviv...
view the full question and answer

What happened to the bluebonnets?
June 09, 2008 - I was wondering if you could tell me why there weren't any bluebonnets out this year? I live in the Hill Country and drive to Austin everyday. I look forward to seeing the bluebonnets up and down the...
view the full question and answer

Control of grasses in wildflower gardening
July 27, 2006 - We have been trying to manage and grow a plot of wildflowers in Madisonville, Texas just east of Bryan / College Station on a charity organizations site for 3 years with some success. The grasses have...
view the full question and answer

Native Texas plants that will grow in sandy soil and salt tolerant
June 08, 2005 - I am in the US Coast Guard and we are looking to plant some wildflowers. The plants will be near saltwater and may get exposed if the area floods during a tropical storm or hurricane. Being on the Gul...
view the full question and answer

Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today.