Western Buttercup

Western Buttercup
Ranunculus occidentalis
Buttercup Family

This native perennial is an early blooming plant that grows in moist soils, meadows, coastal bluffs and forests, from sea level to high elevations.

Western buttercup averages 1 ft. in height, with leaves either smooth or softly hairy. Five to eight bright yellow petals surround a center of yellow stamens[1] and pistils[2].

It’s recognized by pollination ecologists as attracting large numbers of native bees.[3]

Note: There are over 30 species of Buttercups in the Pacific Northwest, so this is my best guess.

[1] Stamens: The male parts of the flower, carrying the pollen, usually located in the centre of the blossom and surrounding the pistil, if present.
[2] Pistil: the female organs of a flower, comprising the stigma, style, and ovary.
[3] https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RAOC