05/29/2026
This Plant/That Plant/And That One, Too!
Differentiating Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) / Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus caricetorum) / Bulbous Buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus)
In the northeast, the bodies of our wild, native plants change moment to moment. Spring is the most obvious time to observe this phenomenon. In April, wildflowers species push through last year’s fallen leaves. By May, many have unfurled their leaves and begun to bloom.
During this May, you might see Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum), Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus caricetorum), or Bulbous buttercup (Ranunculus bulbosus). The foliage of these three plants is similar.
If the deer haven’t eaten the flowers – you’ll know Wild Geranium by the pinkish-lavender blooms in partly shaded woods, forest edges and trailsides. Swamp Buttercup needs cool, slow-moving waters. Bulbous Buttercup can thrive in any poor lawn (like ours by the house), fertile lawn (like our lawn by the meadow) or horse pasture, old field, etc.
The size and shape of leaves can vary greatly, for many, many reasons. The upper leaves found on Wild Geranium’s flowering stems are smaller than the ones at ground level. In sunnier places, the foliage can be smaller, more deeply lobed, while in more fertile ground with less sunlight, the foliage can be larger. The above applies to Swamp Buttercup, too.
The Bulbous Buttercup has smaller leaves in poor soil, and their size is greatly reduced by mowing, as shown in these photographs.
Read the rest on our blog: https://www.wildridgeplants.com/s/stories/this-plantthat-plantand-that-one-too-wild-geranium-geranium-maculatum-swamp-buttercup-2
