A native wetland buttercup with tiny yellow flowers, bristly stems and elongated clusters of beaked fruits. Also called Bristly Buttercup or Bristly Crowfoot.
Pennsylvania Buttercup field photograph. Tap the photo to enlarge.
Family: Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family
Life cycle: Annual or short-lived perennial
Bloom: June–August in the Upper Midwest
Height: About 1–3 feet
Habitat: Wet fields, marshes, ditches and shorelines
Light: Sun to partial shade
Explore photographed sightings and their locations.
Five small yellow petals surround a prominent center. The hairy sepals usually bend backward and exceed the petals in length. Stiff spreading hairs cover young stems and leaf stalks; older stems may be less hairy.
Leaves alternate along the stem. Each has three leaflets, usually deeply lobed and coarsely toothed. The lower leaves have long stalks and may wither early; upper leaves are smaller.
Search wet meadows, marsh margins, pond edges and stream banks in summer. In Wisconsin, records extend across much of the state. Small flowers can be easy to overlook among taller wetland plants, while the green fruiting heads remain conspicuous after petals fall.
Native to North America, including Wisconsin and Illinois. Records extend across much of Canada and the northern United States, with additional western mountain populations.
Reported U.S. distribution
AK, AZ, CO, CT, DC, DE, IA, ID, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MT, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY
State records describe documented distribution, not presence in every county. The observation map shows reported sightings and may include cultivated plants.
Distribution source: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.
The flower center develops into an elongated cluster of flattened, one-seeded fruits called achenes. Each achene ends in a short, mostly straight beak. Photograph the fruits together with the leaves and hairy stems.
Bristly stems, deeply divided leaflets and distinctly beaked fruits.
Ranunculus sceleratus has smoother, fleshy stems and broad lobed lower leaves. Its fruit heads contain many much smaller, nearly beakless achenes. View Cursed Crowfoot →
Study the photographs and field notes for Pennsylvania Buttercup, then practice identifying it in the wildflower quiz.
