Nature on our doorsteps: Flashy springtime buttercups

The first of the buttercup family to flower in springtime is the Lesser Celandine.

Like all springtime plants that flower in woodlands and along damp hedgerows, Lesser Celandine will bloom while the trees are still bare, usually between February and late April.

Once the leaves emerge on the trees and cast their shade onto the woodland floor, it will be too dull for most plants to flower and set seed.

Lesser Celandine looks like a typical buttercup in that it has bright yellow petals.

Lesser Celandine’s petals tend to be longer and narrower, and their surfaces have a high gloss finish that extends from the tip of the petal almost to the centre of the flower.

This glossy surface makes the flower look star-like in bright March sunshine.

Because of the shady locations where these plants grow, however, the shiny glossy petals serve a very practical function.

Lesser Celandine grows in clumps in shady woods and hedgerows

They reflect any light that might be available.

This ability to reflect light helps attract the few insects that are flying in early spring.

As the flower dances in the breeze, the petals are reflecting and flashing light into the space around them.

Insects see these flashes from a distance and come to investigate. As they approach the flower, the ultraviolet colouration in the petals that we can’t see will then direct the insect towards the nectar at the centre of the flower.

Also, even for flowers that only barely open on dull overcast days, light is reflected back into the centre of the flower. This helps to keep the delicate nectar and seed-producing areas warm and ready for pollinating insects.

Drawing attention by being flashy is therefore a vital adaptation for flowers growing in shady places, particularly when springtime insects are not very plentiful.