Tall Buttercup, also known as Common Buttercup, is a noxious weed native to Europe. It contains a bitter juice, which causes blistering of the mouth and digestive system when consumed by livestock.

Tall Buttercup is a major seed producer capable of invading undisturbed pastures. Its toxic juices make it unpleasing to taste for the wildlife and livestock, allowing the plant to rapidly invade and dominate grazed pastures, native meadows, and stream banks. The bitter juice makes the plant very unappetizing for animals but if food is scarce, animals will ingest the plant.

• Distinguished by its leaves, which are hairy and deeply lobed (nearly to the base) into three to five segments with each segment lobed again. Leaves decrease in size upward on the stem.
• Stems are hollow and highly branched towards the upper part of the plant.
• Plant ranges from single flowers branching off the stem to small clusters.
• Flowers are bright yellow and have five round petals, each 10 to 14mm long. The upper surfaces of the petals are waxy, giving them a shiny appearance.
• Plant height ranges from 30 to 105cm.

• forage crops
• hayfields
• rangeland
• waste areas
• roadsides
• wet areas in ditches, near wetlands, and around creeks

Tall Buttercup grows as a perennial which begins growth in the early spring. This plant flowers from mid-May to September.

Tall Buttercup reproduces by seed only.

• single plant can produce as many as 250 seeds
• yellowy brown and egg- shaped
• flat with a hooked tip which is advantageous for spreading
• travel well on water

• The best control option is to stop the plant from going to seed.
• Cultivation may be used as a cultural control method if the taproots are effectively destroyed.
• The best control is usually accomplished at the seedling stage.
• Tall buttercup can be hand-pulled or dug out, but soil disturbance must be kept to a minimum and wearing gloves and long sleeves is recommended as the plant’s juices can cause blistering and redness.
• Many herbicides have proven effective, but difficulty remains when the plants are near water.
• Check your Crop Protection Guide for management of this weed.