Maryland DNR warns about invasive plant

Ficaria verna, commonly known as lesser celandine, is an invasive plant that emerges in the soil in February and March, long before any of Maryland's native plants. Lesser celandine can, in fact, completely change the plant species composition in an area.

The lesser celandine plant creates a thick mat that shades out, out-competes and smothers any other plants that might be in the soil, Maryland Department of Natural Resources outreach ecologist Paula Becker said.