Bur Buttercup Appearing!

By PR Extension Office

Last week Powder River Extension received its first call of the spring regarding a nuisance weed – bur buttercup! One of the earliest weeds to appear in the spring, as early as the mustards, is a small yellow flowering annual known as bur buttercup, according to Powder River Extension Agent Mary Rumph. It seems harmless, a small, gray-green tap rooted plant with three to four deeply lobed, fine-haired leaves resembling antlers. However, by mid spring it forms solid, 3 to 4 inch-tall mats. By early summer, it scatters its seed and its burs have turned from green to straw-colored to brown. The burs, though not as sharp as puncturevine seeds, are painful if stepped on with bare feet.

Bur Buttercup primarily grows in waste areas. It is best controlled before it produces flowers and seeds. Hoeing, pulling and digging can control it; it can also be sprayed (depending on its location) with 2,4-D, Ally, Banvel, or Roundup. Contact the Powder River Extension Office at 436-2424 or Rumph at mrumph@ montana.edu for more information.