Mechanical control such as disking or mowing does little to control buttercup. By controlling buttercup, as well as other winter broadleaf weeds, desirable forages are more likely to receive the full benefit of any fertilizer applications. If producers begin to see a flush of green vegetation across their fields this spring, buttercup is likely in the mix. However, large stands of buttercup may be difficult for livestock to avoid when the fields are covered each spring. Because of its bitter taste and toxic properties, cattle usually avoid consuming buttercup. If consumed, these compounds can cause blisters in the animal’s mouth or nosebleeds in cattle. This compound produces an oily substance when the plant parts are crushed or eaten by grazing livestock. Generally, buttercup prefers moist sites and easily grows in areas where forages are thin.Īll buttercups of the Ranunculus genus contain a toxic compound called ranunculin. They begin to emerge in the fall as warm season forage growth and soil temperatures decrease. While some buttercup species were introduced to the Southeast, many buttercups are native to Alabama and are well adapted to the environment. The most common species found in Alabama are hairy buttercup, bristly buttercup, and littleleaf buttercup. Most of these species are either biennial or perennial, meaning they will return the following year from both seed and tuberous roots. There are roughly a dozen species of buttercup across the Southeast. Buttercup flowers in mixed grass pasture.
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