INDUSTRY RESEARCH
Efforts Underway to Eradicate Invasive
Ficaria verna in North Carolina 26 NURSERY & LANDSCAPE NOTES || FALL 2021
By Grant Smith, Hannah Maness, Shelby Williford and Tim Jiang
College of Natural Resources, North Carolina State University
Ficaria verna, colloquially known as the fig buttercup, is an invasive perennial species that has spread through the northeastern United States in recent years. Originally native to Europe, Africa and Asia, this winterspring menace was reportedly first spotted in North Carolina in Asheville in 2011. Less than two years later, it was reportedly seen in Greenville, S.C. Ficaria verna poses a considerable threat to native plant species, threatening to outcompete and displace them if allowed to spread unchecked.
