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Greater Spearwort

Ranunculus lingua

Greater Spearwort
Photo: JanB46, CC BY-SA 4.0

Greater spearwort is a semi-aquatic perennial buttercup that grows with its base in shallow water or wet mud and sends up hollow stems with large yellow flowers in summer. Grow it in a pond margin or boggy spot with the crown kept wet.

Family
Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
Grows as
Aquatic
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep the roots submerged or in constantly wet mud, with the crown in about 10 to 40 cm of water.
Soil
Wet, heavy mud or loam at the bottom of a pond or in a bog garden.
Temperature
Hardy in temperate climates; tolerates winter cold and freezing of the surface water.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Toxic: All parts contain protoanemonin and related irritant compounds, which can blister the skin and irritate the mouth and stomach if eaten.. Toxic to cats and dogs (ASPCA).
Native range
Europe to Siberia and W. Himalaya
Climate
temperate

About

Ranunculus lingua, the greater spearwort, great spearwort, tongue-leaved crowfoot, or water buttercup, is a plant species in the family Ranunculaceae native to temperate areas of Europe, Siberia and through to the western Himalayas. It is a semiaquatic plant that prefers to grow in about 40 cm (16 in) of water in a variety of wetland habitats. A cultivar (or perhaps a traditional variety) called 'Grandiflorus', the large-flowered greater spearwort, has 6 cm (2 in) flowers and is favored by gardeners.

Where it grows

The native range of greater spearwort is throughout Europe and western Asia as far western Siberia and Xinjiang province of China. Populations are judged to be stable, globally, and its threat status is LC (Least Concern).

Other Ranunculus plants

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

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ranunculus lingua 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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