As spring warms up, the buttercups open, in dense patches of bright yellow flowers. The flowers have bright, glossy petals that can look almost white. Even when they’re not flowering, their leaves have an interesting mottley spottleness. That’s how you know these particular buttercups are Ranunculus repens.
It’s not native here, but I like the way it looks. The way it spreads is handy for allowing bare patches to cover themselves. The way it spreads isn’t so great when it sends creeping stems and roots among other plants, but it’s not so hard to find the crowns and root them out. And if you’re looking close enough to examine the leaves, you’ll see the real reason I like the buttercups (and here comes a big surprise): bees.
Tiny shiny bees,
Tiny red bees,
Hover flies and bumblebees that zip and bustle past the leaves and never hold still.
Writing Every Day 