What use buttercups?

[Monbees]

I have been spending a lot of time these last few days on my knees digging out individual buttercup plants in my wildflower lawn. I find they spread exponentially and as far as I am aware are no use for wildlife or domestic animal forage. More than happy to be corrected if I am wrong, then I can stop this frantic digging!

 

[Erichalfbee]

They are good for pollinators just not honeybees

 

[ericbeaumont]

days on my knees digging out individual buttercup plants

That's bad for your knees; give up.

 

[Monbees]

That's bad for your knees; give up.

Believe me, l'd love to give up but if l did my meadow/lawn would be over-run with buttercups. (Dare l think about spot spraying??!!)

 

[Murox]

They are good for pollinators just not honeybees

Do you (or anyone else) happen to know about the other flowering plants in the bigger family of Ranunculaceae ?

 

[Murox]

Believe me, l'd love to give up but if l did my meadow/lawn would be over-run with buttercups. (Dare l think about spot spraying??!!)

There must be selective 'killers' available as cattle get sick from eating them so their pastures are kept clean of them. Drainage might be an issue in your "lawn" because they do prefer damp areas.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you (or anyone else) happen to know about the other flowering plants in the bigger family of Ranunculaceae ?

Lesser Celandine. Absolutely masses in the fields here. I do see honeybees on them occasionally

 

[drdrday]

Our tortoise would 'run' towards your buttercup lawn . We encourage them around our garden and try to protect them from his trampling. Apparently buttercups can be poisonous to tortoises (or at least that's the extrapolation from how they affect horses), but ours has been feasting on them in huge numbers every spring for the last 70 years with no noticeable ill effects.
Maybe consider getting a tortoise?

 

[Frisbee]

Buttercups are poisonous to cattle, horses and possibly sheep, but only when fresh, they are fine when dried in hay. The main reason they are visible in pasture is beacause they aren't being eaten. You could use a broad leafed weedkiller but even then they only kill certain varieties. Don't use something like Roundup as it will also kill the surrounding grass.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Kids used to to see if you like butter.

 

[Goran]

Long time ago I read somewhere that buttercup pollen is lethal for the brood.. I don't know does it still has value, but whenever I can I cut off buttercup plants..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Buttercups are poisonous to cattle, horses and possibly sheep, but only when fresh, they are fine when dried in hay. The main reason they are visible in pasture is beacause they aren't being eaten. You could use a broad leafed weedkiller but even then they only kill certain varieties. Don't use something like Roundup as it will also kill the surrounding grass.

Buttercup pollen is pretty harmful to horses respiratory systems too.