Coronavirus blog: Lesser celandine – a sign of spring

The lesser celandine (Ficaria verna) is a member of the buttercup family. Look out for these yellow star-shaped flowers along path edges and in the base of hedgerows on your daily walk.

Lesser celandine

The flower heads open in daylight and close at night, so they are truly a harbinger of spring sunshine. The petals of lesser celandine are glossy yellow and the leaves are dark green and heart-shaped with long stems. As one of the first species to flower in the spring, celandines are an important nectar source for queen bumblebees emerging from their winter slumber.

The celandine was said to be the favourite flower of William Wordsworth. He wrote several poems about the plant, including “The Lesser Celandine”:

There is a Flower, the Lesser Celandine,

That shrinks, like many more, from cold and rain;

And, the first moment that the sun may shine,

Bright as the sun himself, ’tis out again!

Remember that you should not be travelling to our parks, sites or Public Rights of Way for your daily exercise. Please only visit those that are within walking distance from your home and follow Government advice on social distancing.

For more information, please visit http://www.shropshiresgreatoutdoors.co.uk/coronavirus/