The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: hooked buttercup, blisterwort, hooked crowfoot

Family: Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)

Distribution: e. North America and Caribbean

Life form: Herbaceous perennial

Comments: Hooked buttercup grows up to 2 feet tall and blooms in April. The small yellow flowers are not showy; they consist of five-six petals, five sepals, and a dense cluster of pistils surrounded by a ring of stamens. Neither the petals nor the sepals are long-lasting. The fruits are clustered together, changing from green to nearly black. The foliage is much more interesting and attractive than the flowers being dark green and deeply divided. Bees are the main pollinators of this plant.