This plant looks a little like the Ficaria verna which is an invasive in SC, but it does not match well enough that i can tell. Before getting people excited it would be good to double check. The plant is in an undisturbed upstate wooded area about 50 feet from a very small small stream. The soil is mostly clay, but since the area has not been disturbed there is a lot of leaf overburden that is in various stages of decay. The flowers were about 12″ tall, and the foliage is about 5-8″ tall. There is a pretty dense mat of these flowers. There are may apples and blood root in the same area.
Thank you,
Mark
Hi Mark,
no worries! This is a nice native wildflower called Senecio aureus, now often called Packera aurea, sometimes called golden ragwort or butterweed. It is not considered to be invasive and is nice to have around.
Sincerely,
Steven Hill, Ph.D., Botanist SCNPS