Ficaria verna aka Fig Buttercup

Ficaria verna, also known as lesser celandine or pilewort, is a low-growing, hairless perennial flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. Native to Europe and Western Asia, it has fleshy dark green, heart-shaped leaves and distinctive flowers with bright yellow, glossy petals. In North America, where it is considered an invasive species, it is called fig buttercup. The plant is poisonous if ingested raw and can be fatal to grazing animals such as horses, cattle, and sheep. Due to its invasive nature, several US states have banned it or listed it as a noxious weed. Despite being a persistent garden weed in the UK, many horticulturalists and discerning gardeners collect selected cultivars of Ficaria verna, including bronze-leaved and double-flowered varieties. It emerges in late winter and its appearance across the landscape is seen as a sign of spring. This compact, tuberous-rooted perennial has rosettes of marbled light green, dark green, and silver foliage. It blooms from late winter to early summer, with single orange flowers that have green flushing on the reverse. The plant produces actinomorphic flowers with glossy yellow petals and spiral-shaped dark green leaves. It also forms tubers in the leaf axils after flowering. It is important to note that all plants in the buttercup family contain the compound protoanemonin, which can be toxic when the plant is wounded. To remove Ficaria verna, hand pulling should be done carefully to minimize soil disturbance, as many weeds thrive in disturbed soil. Small weeds can be removed by placing one hand flat on the ground with the weed between two fingers.