Ranunculus flammula var. flammula

Greater creeping spearwort

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS PPD

Greater creeping spearwort is a California native perennial found in northwestern California in shallow water or muddy shores of ponds at elevations below 1,000 meters. Flowering from May to August, this plant produces small yellow flowers 5 to 7 millimeters wide with delicate white petals. Growing with stems 0.8 to 3 millimeters in diameter that can be erect or prostrate across wet habitats, it spreads easily in marshy environments. Its leaves are slender and lance-shaped, measuring 1.8 to 4.5 centimeters long and 0.3 to 1 centimeter wide, providing a distinctive green backdrop to its subtle flowering structure. The plant's ability to thrive in shallow water makes it a unique inhabitant of pond margins and wet meadow ecosystems.

Habitat: Shallow water or muddy shores of ponds

Bloom period: May-Aug

Elevation: < 1000 m

Bioregions: NW

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.