DNR adds new plant to invasive watch list

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has identified a new invasive plant for the state’s watch list.

Lesser celandine has been added after cropping up in certain floodplain forests in mid-Michigan, including some stretches of the Grand River watershed.

The low-growing perennial plant is from the buttercup family and most often found along streams and in forested floodplains. The plants have heart-shaped leaves and glossy yellow flowers and were first brought to the area as a “spring interest species for gardens.”

According to the DNR, part of what makes lesser celandine such a problem is that they can reproduce in three different ways and can crowd out native plants like spring beauties and trilliums. The plant not only reproduces through its seeds, but also through its tubers and bulbils.

Lesser celandine is considered a spring ephemeral, which means it sprouts early in the spring, flowers, goes to seed and then dies and disappears before summer. That makes it harder to spot and harder to control.

Katie Grzesiak, the DNR’s terrestrial invasive species coordinator, said the hope is adding it to the watch list will put the plant on more people’s radar and result in more reports to give the agency a better idea of how far the plant has spread.

“With the prioritization afforded by the watch list, we’re hoping reports by partners and the public can help us understand how far the invasion extends so we can make the best decisions about how to steward our resources — both financial and natural,” Grzesiak said in a release .

Anyone who believes they have spotted lesser celandine can file a report through the Midwest Invasive Species Information Network or the MISIN app.

Lesser celandine can be confused for marsh marigold , which is a native plant. Lesser celandine is typically two to four times smaller than marsh marigold, which can grow up to 2 feet tall. Marsh marigold also has larger flowers and leaves and lasts through the summer.

The full Michigan Invasive Species Watch List is available on the DNR’s website .

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