Is it safe to use on my skin?

No, the sap is caustic and can cause burns or severe irritation.

How do I stop it from spreading?

Remove the plants before they set seed to prevent them from taking over your garden.

Plant guide

Greater celandine.

Chelidonium majus

Pronounced kel-ih-DOH-nee-um MAY-jus

Also known as Celandine, Great Celandine, Greater Celandine, Nipplewort

Greater celandine is a charming, hardy perennial often found in woodland edges and hedgerows. It produces delicate yellow flowers and has a long history in traditional herbal practices. You'll find it's quite adaptable to various garden spots.

Another photo of Greater celandine — Photo by Douglas Goldman (CC BY-SA) via iNaturalist

At a glance

Care level: Easy
Plant type: Herbaceous perennial
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Indoor light: Bright indirect
Water: Every 3 to 7 days
Mature size: 3 feet
Growth rate: Medium
Hardiness: USDA 4 to 8
Bloom time: Mid spring to late summer

Care

Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged to mimic its natural woodland habitat. Watch for wilting leaves as a sign it needs more moisture. It can spread quickly, so keep an eye on its growth if you want to contain it.

Watering: Water whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
Feeding: Apply a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season.
Pruning: Trim back spent flower stalks to encourage a tidy appearance and prevent unwanted self seeding.
Repotting: Repot only if the plant becomes root bound or you need to refresh the soil.
Soil: Moist, well-draining soil
Soil pH: Neutral to slightly alkaline
Temperature: -25 to 30°C
Humidity: 40 to 70%
Drought tolerance: Moderate
Lifespan: Short lived perennial, typically 2 to 3 years.
Deer and rabbits: High

Signs it needs repotting

Roots growing out of the drainage holes
Water running straight through the pot

Safety

People: All parts of the plant are poisonous if eaten, and the sap can cause severe skin irritation or blistering.
Pets: This plant is considered toxic to cats and dogs if ingested, as it contains alkaloids that can cause irritation.
Children: Keep children away from this plant as the sap is caustic and the foliage is toxic if ingested.
Contact allergens: The yellow latex sap is a potent skin irritant that can cause contact dermatitis.
Airborne allergens: Pollen may cause mild respiratory irritation in sensitive individuals.
Edibility: This plant is toxic if ingested and should never be consumed.

How to identify it

Bright yellow four petaled flowers
Deeply lobed, fern like foliage
Orange sap inside stems
Small, elongated seed pods

Height: 0.3 to 0.9m
Spread: 0.3 to 0.6m
Leaves: bright green, glaucous, deciduous
Flowers: yellow, 1 to 2cm
Fruit: brown, Late summer

Problems to watch for

AphidsCommon
Powdery MildewCommon
Leaf SpotUncommon
RustUncommon
Slugs and SnailsUncommon
Root RotRare

By symptom

Plant problems by symptom

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Growing it

Propagation: seed
When to plant: spring, autumn
Overwintering: The foliage will die back completely in winter. No special protection is needed as the roots are hardy.
In containers: It grows well in pots, but ensure the container is at least 20 centimeters deep to accommodate the root system.

Seed

Collect seeds from the brown pods in late summer.
Sow seeds directly into the soil in autumn.
Thin seedlings in spring to allow for proper spacing.

Plant this in a contained area as it is an aggressive self seeder that can crowd out smaller perennials.

Grows well with

Common Ivy · They share similar woodland shade requirements.
Foxglove · Both plants enjoy the same dappled shade and soil conditions.

Similar species

Greater Celandine Poppy · It has similar yellow flowers but is a better behaved native alternative.

Science

Family: Papaveraceae
Genus: Chelidonium
Order: Ranunculales
Class: Magnoliopsida
Native range: Europe and western Asia.
Conservation: This is a common, often invasive species that is not of conservation concern.

It thrives in disturbed soils, hedgerows, and shaded woodland edges where it can easily outcompete native ground cover.

Value to wildlife: pollen source
Pollinators: bees, butterflies
Uses: ornamental, traditional herbalism

Through the year

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Flowering

Fruiting

Foliage

Ecological indicators

Salinity: 1/9
Soil reaction: 6/9
Light: 5/9
Temperature: 5/9
Moisture: 5/9
Nutrients: 6/9

Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.

Questions people ask

Is it safe to use on my skin?: No, the sap is caustic and can cause burns or severe irritation.
How do I stop it from spreading?: Remove the plants before they set seed to prevent them from taking over your garden.

Where the name comes from

The name Chelidonium is derived from the Greek word chelidon, meaning swallow, while majus means greater.

Good to know

It is commonly known as swallowwort because it was once believed to bloom when swallows arrived.
The name Chelidonium comes from the Greek word for swallow.
It is a member of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.
The plant readily self seeds in gardens.

Also in

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This guide was generated with AI on September 26, 2026 and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.