OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaButtercups are small, shiny wildflowers that are a bright, sunny yellow! Their petals are so smooth and glossy that they look like they have been polished with butter. There are over 600 different kinds of buttercups growing all around the world.
Scientists discovered that buttercup petals have a special extra-smooth layer on top that reflects light almost like a tiny mirror. That is why they seem to glow so brightly in the sunshine! You can spot buttercups growing in big cheerful patches in meadows, parks, and gardens.
- There is a classic game kids have played for hundreds of years where you hold a buttercup under your chin, and if your chin glows yellow, it means you like butter!
- The golden reflection comes from those shiny mirror-like petals bouncing light onto your skin.
- Buttercups taste very bitter, so animals like cows and horses know not to eat them.
