Ranunculus

Ranunculus (Ranunculus asiaticus) flowers, also known as Persian buttercups, originally grew as little wildflowers native to the eastern Mediterranean region, from the island of Cyprus through Turkey and east to Iran. Fossilized ranunculus seeds dating back 5 million years, from the Pliocene Era.

A Persian legend tells of a young prince who fell desperately in love with a beautiful nymph. She spurned his declarations of love time and again, so he died of a broken heart and turned into a ranunculus flower. It grew low to the ground, with five red or yellow petals and a black centre.

In Latin, Ranunculus means ‘little frog’. It combines the Latin words: ‘Rana’ (meaning frog) and ‘unculus’ (meaning little). The bulbs flourish near bodies of water and grow naturally along streams, hence this cute little nickname.

Over the last 100 years, more than 600 different cultivated varieties have come to be valued for their delicate, ruffled, rose-like petals and come in a wide range of colours (white, yellow, apricot, orange, pink, red, fuchsia, burgundy, and picotee or bicolour).  They have curly, fuzzy stems with fern-like leaves, which appear whimsical, supporting a large, exquisite flower with voluminous, paper-thin petals numbering between 100 and 130 per flower, and a very faint fragrance.

Ranunculus are known to be very reliable bloomers with a long vase life of eight days to two weeks, making them a popular choice for cut flower arrangements, centrepieces, and wedding bouquets. 

The whole flowering plant is known for its medicinal properties. In traditional medicine, dried petals were used to soothe body aches and sore joints, and the roots were used to treat skin ailments such as warts. But beware, Ranunculus plants are toxic to humans and animals when eaten fresh. They might be great to look at, but not to eat!

In the home, a ranunculus arrangement can grace a dining table or desk, or serve as an accent anywhere a splash of color is needed. In the garden, ranunculus are beautiful in mass plantings as a spring border or in a pollinator garden. In containers, they are a cheerful addition to a porch, a patio, or an entryway, or around a pool.

Sources:

• https://www.1800flowers.com/articles/flower-facts/ranunculus-flower-facts
• https://figandbloom.com/blogs/news/fun-facts-about-ranunculus