Ranunculus

Writer Carrie Tatro summed it up best in an online article this past January: “What’s nerve-wracking at a spelling bee but beloved by bees, hard to say three times really fast, poison if you eat it, a former cure for leprosy and oh-so-gobsmacking in a bridal bouquet? Answer: ranunculus, ranunculus, ranunculus.”

Giant double buttercups on steroids with a multitude of thin petals arranged in a quartered rose-like fashion. Blooms from late spring into summer. Good for borders, pots and cutting. Fern-like foliage.

Growing Ranunculus

• To sprout, tubers require 4 to 6 weeks of cool nights (40–50°) with daytime temps between 60–75°. If it’s too warm they will stay dormant. Zones 4–10, plant in spring. Zones 8–11, plant in fall.
• Before planting, soak tubers in water for 12-48 hours.
• Plant 2–4" deep, 6" apart, claw side down. Plant in full sun, in moist well-drained soil.