Buttercups – meadows and verges

One of the delights at this time of year is to come across a field or meadow full of buttercups. The name 'buttercup' is applied to the yellow-flowered Ranunculaceae species that favour drier habitats as opposed to 'spearworts' which are normally found in wet places and pond margins. Given that buttercups are often found in meadows where cows and horses are grazing it is perhaps surprsing that buttercups are toxic particularly when ingested in large quantities in their fresh state. But animals generally avoid eating them and dried buttercups in hay are not considered toxic. 

There are 30 species of buttercup in the UK but four common varieties (Figure 1). All four can be found in the 4Bs together with other varieties.

  Figure 1 Common types of buttercup A Meadow B Creeping C Bulbous D Goldilocks

The Meadow buttercup  (1A) is a widespread and common perennial in meadows and pastures, and is also found in parks, gardens and at woodland edges. It prefers slightly damper sites, where it can grow so dense that it forms yellow meadows that dazzle in the sunshine. It flowers between April and October.

The Creeping buttercup (1B) tends to prefer damp situations, but it is fairly 'easy going' and tolerant of soil conditions. It can spread rapidly by means of runners (or stolons). These spread out from the parent plant and produce roots at nodes along the runner. Where these roots take hold, a daughter plant may be formed.

The Bulbous buttercup (1C) is probably the easiest buttercup to identify as the flowers have what is termed ‘reversed’ sepals, where rather than the sepal lying under the petals, they are turned backwards and point down the flower stem.  Just below the surface, it has a bulbous stem base which stores nutrients and helps the plant to grow rapidly in the spring and reach peak flowering before the Meadow buttercups.

The Goldilocks buttercup (1D) has petals that are lax and much more open than the other common buttercup species creating a golden yellow ring of petals around the flower centre.  This species is more often found near hedgerows and in woodland edges than in the middle of meadows and is considered a good indicator for species rich habitats and long-established woodlands.  Being one of the first buttercups to flower it has usually completed growth and set seed by the time the trees are in full leaf. Goldilocks flowers often have one or more missing or deformed petals, making them appear a bit dishevelled and this is often an easy way to identify them.

Land management practices are an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers.
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Land management practices have an important influence on the development of buttercup meadows. Most are unimproved grasslands maintained through annual hay cutting (typically in mid to late summer) — this removes nutrients and prevents dominance by vigorous plants. They also often involve grazing by cattle or sheep after the hay is cut, which helps keep competitive species in check and fertilise the soils so there is no need for artificial fertilizers which favour aggressive grasses over wildflowers.
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Buttercups are opportunists — they spread by seed and can form dense patches if the conditions are right. In species- poor grasslands they might be the only wildflower of any consequence. In species-rich meadows, they compete with other wildflowers (like oxeye daisies, clovers, and red campion), often forming mosaics rather than pure buttercup stands. If left undisturbed for years, a stable ecosystem forms where buttercups return annually. They can also be found in the uncultivated grassy strips at the edge of cultivated fields.

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​Buttercups are widespread within the Betchworth and Buckland B-Line. They can be found in many road verges and many gardeners will see them in their lawns. A rapid reconnaissance survey (Figure 2) revealed they are most prolific in farmland, south of the A25 on the sandy soils of the Lower Greensand or the river alluvium of the Mole Valley.
Buttercups are present, but less prevalent, in fields below the North Downs chalk hills. But there are also areas where there are few buttercups particularly in the eastern and soutern parts of the B Line.

The location of buttercup meadows and grasslands is heavily influenced by land management practices. Buttercups are generally absent or restricted to field margins where crops are grown.  Buttercup-rich meadows are common on the Betchworth estate on either side of the River Mole. Buttercups are relatively scarce south of Buckland where there are extensive grasslands for horse or cattle grazing or for grass crops. They are typically restricted to damper patches or where a field has been left ungrazed.

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​Figure 2 Distribution of buttercups in the Betchworth & Buckland B-Line.                     B = significant buttercup meadows            b= sporadic patches in fields or verges 

​Sources
Ward, T. (2024) Goldilocks and the three other meadow buttercups. https://www.montwt.co.uk/blog/tim-ward/goldilocks-and-three-other-meadow-buttercups

The movie below celebrates the beauty of our buttercups which are an important wildflower constituent of the Betchworth and Buckland B-Line.