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Asian Buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus

Also called Persian Buttercup, Persian Crowfoot

Asian Buttercup
Photo: SuperJew, CC BY-SA 3.0

Ranunculus asiaticus is a tuberous perennial buttercup from the eastern Mediterranean and southwest Asia, grown for its double, showy flowers in red, pink, yellow or white. It needs cool conditions, good drainage and protection from hard frost to thrive.

Family
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep soil evenly moist during growth and let it dry slightly after flowering; avoid waterlogging the tubers.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile garden soil or loam-based potting mix.
Temperature
10–20 °C preferred; tolerates light frost but not hardy below -10 °C.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain protoanemonin, which irritates skin and mouth and can cause gastrointestinal upset if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
S. Aegean Is. to W. & SW. Iran
Climate
subtropical

About

Ranunculus asiaticus, the Persian buttercup, is a species of buttercup (Ranunculus) native to the eastern Mediterranean region, southwestern Asia, southeastern Europe (Crete, Karpathos and Rhodes), and northeastern Africa.

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing up to 45 cm (18 in) tall, with simple or branched stems. The basal leaves are three-lobed, with leaves higher on the stems more deeply divided; like the stems, they are downy or hairy. The flowers are 3 to 5 cm (1.2 to 2.0 in) cm in diameter, variably red to pink, yellow, or white, with one to several flowers on each stem.

How to grow it

Double-flowered forms, which are likely hybrids, are a popular ornamental plant in gardens, and widely used in floristry. Numerous cultivars have been selected, including 'Bloomingdale', 'Picotee', 'Pot Dwarf', and 'Superbissima'. The plants can tolerate light frost, but are not hardy at temperatures below -10°C.

'Tecolote' and 'Bloomingdale' are examples of the double-flowered plants. The single-flowered species form is not commercially cultivated on any significant scale. By contrast, the similar-looking Anemone coronaria is widely available in single-flower 'De Caen' hybrid forms. However, as with Ranunculus asiaticus, the species form, which also has red single flowers, is not commercially cultivated.

Other Ranunculus plants

Littleleaf buttercup · Aconite-leaf buttercup · Meadow buttercup · White water crowfoot · Brackish Water-crowfoot · St. Anthony's turnip · Ranunculus calandrinioides · California buttercup · Greater creeping spearwort · Glacier buttercup · Ranunculus gramineus · Ivy buttercup

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ranunculus asiaticus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

Pet safety from the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists.

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