you have to dig out all the little tubers too. Its a real pain. Another tack to try is to spray the leaves with roundup type weedkiller after flowering just as the leaves are dying back. the weedkiller is then taken down to the tubers and they die off over time.

Two or three sprays with round up over a month should see it off . Otherwise you'll have to keep digging up and it will take a long time to eradicate it.

You could just enjoy the celandines and give the neighbours a nice bottle of wine each Christmas! I think that you will find it difficult to eradicate them completely.

I would agree with bulbaholic, they are virtually impossible to eradicate. Roundup can work eventually, but definitely requires repeated applications. Unless you only have a few plants then digging them up is usually futile and just results in spreading the tiny tubers all around the garden.

On the plus side they do have a very short period of active growth, making the most of the window between the end of Winter and the full leafing-out of trees by late Spring, after which they will disappear from view entirely.

They are actually rather pretty little plants, and there are many, many forms cultivated for their ornamental leaf patterns and varied flower forms.

Thanks so much all of you, I have decided on a half and half resolution.... as you suggest, leave the ones under the trees and shrubs - they are pretty in the spring - and die off within a few weeks.
And keep removing the renegades who try to take over the world! Will also try a bit of individual RoundUp treatment if it doesn't threaten my other babies.
Thanks again, but I was hoping someone had a magic wand

only if the wand has a trowel at the end of it :o)

never any real shortcuts in gardening.