Meadow buttercup
A common glossy yellow flower of moist meadows; it gives bees a little nectar and moderate pollen, while the fresh plant is toxic to livestock.
- Nectar
- Low
- Pollen
- Medium
- Flowering
- JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
- Pollen colour
- Height
- 0,3-1 m
- Life cycle
- Perennial
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Meadow buttercup is a perennial with glossy yellow petals, common in damp meadows, pastures and woodland edges. A small gland at the base of each petal secretes a little nectar, while the many stamens give moderate pollen. It is visited more by flies and solitary bees than by honey bees; there are also specialised solitary bee species that depend on buttercups.
Flowering
It flowers for a long time from May to August, peaking in the May-June meadows.
Honey and pollen
Its contribution to honey production is small. The pollen loads are yellow.
Note for the beekeeper
The fresh plant contains protoanemonin and irritates the mouth and digestive tract; it loses this effect when dried. Some old sources claim that buttercup pollen can harm bees, but this view has not been adequately confirmed.