Meadow buttercup is the tallest and most refined of our common buttercups, occasionally reaching about 90 cm in height. It can be distinguished from Creeping buttercup by its lower leaves. Both species have leaves that are deeply lobed (Meadow buttercup typically five lobes; Creeping buttercup three), but in Creeping buttercup the middle lobes are stalked. The Bulbous buttercup differs in having downward-turning sepals (see photograph). Flowering occurs from April to October. Habitat Information This native winter-green perennial is found on most grazed or cut grasslands throughout Britain, though it favors moist soils and may be replaced by Bulbous buttercup on drier sites. This distinction is particularly evident on old ridge-and-furrow grasslands, where Bulbous buttercup tends to occupy the ridges and Meadow buttercup the furrows. Growing Information Easily established from seed sown in autumn or spring.
