(Ranunculus)

The genus Ranunculus comprises about 300 species of herbaceous plants from the world's temperate and boreal regions. Its botanical name is said to refer to the Latin word for little frog as some Ranunculus species grow in marshy areas. Buttercups, crowfoot, and many other familiar ornamentals and weeds are found in this genus.

These often weedy annuals or perennials grow from tuberous roots, underground stems or swollen crowns. Some spread aggressively by runners. Most Ranunculus...

(Meadow Buttercup)

Grown for its cheerful "buttercups," this tall, hardy, clump-forming herbaceous perennial is native to Eurasia but has naturalized worldwide. Slowly spreading clumps of large, dark green, jaggedly lobed leaves give rise in late spring and early summer to branching, waist-high stems topped with waxy, bright yellow flowers. Some forms of this perennial have much shorter flower stems. The cupped, nickel- to quarter-sized blooms have five petals and a central boss of yellow stamens. The flowers are...

(Meadow Buttercup)

Grown for its cheerful flowers, meadow buttercup is a tall, hardy, clump-forming herbaceous perennial originating in Eurasia and naturalized worldwide. Its cultivar 'Flore Pleno' bears a profusion of sterile, fully double blooms. Slowly spreading clumps of large, dark green, jaggedly lobed leaves give rise in late spring and early summer to branching, waist-high stems topped with waxy, bright yellow, pompon-shaped flowers. The nickel-sized, many-petaled blooms resemble miniature chrysanthemums....

(Meadow Buttercup, Steven's Meadow Buttercup)

Grown for its cheerful flowers, meadow buttercup is a tall, hardy, clump-forming herbaceous perennial originating in Eurasia and naturalized worldwide. Its cultivar 'Stevenii' bears relatively large blooms. Slowly spreading clumps of large, dark green, jaggedly lobed leaves give rise in late spring and early summer to branching, waist- to chest-high stems topped with waxy, bright yellow flowers. The cupped, quarter-sized, single to semi-double blooms have a central boss of yellow stamens. The...

(Garden Ranunculus, Persian Buttercup)

Introduced to Europe from Turkey in the late sixteenth century and still popular as a garden and florists' plant, this tender tuberous perennial from the eastern Mediterranean produces showy red, pink, purple, yellow, orange, or white blooms on compact stems in late spring and summer. Most cultivated forms bear ruffled pompon-like double flowers. The leaves, which typically emerge very early in the season, are deeply lobed and bluish-green. Plants go dormant after bloom. Several groups of garden...

(Figwort, Lesser Celandine)

A tiny spring ephemeral that spreads rapidly to form extensive colonies, this hardy tuberous perennial is native to much of Europe and western Asia, and widely naturalized in other temperate regions. Highly variable, it typically bears glossy, yellow, circular flowers with 8 to 12 starry petals. Appearing in early spring, the blooms vary considerably in color and form, with white-, bronze-, and double-flowered variants sometimes occurring. The lustrous, heart-shaped leaves are usually dark green...

(Brazen Hussy Figwort, Figwort, Lesser Celandine)

A tiny spring ephemeral that spreads rapidly to form extensive colonies, lesser celandine is a hardy tuberous perennial from Europe and western Asia. The cultivar 'Brazen Hussy' is prized for its showy bronze-purple leaves and glossy, yellow, circular flowers. Appearing in early spring, the blooms have 8 to 12 starry petals. The lustrous, heart-shaped leaves go dormant in late spring. Plants proliferate by tubers and seeds and can eventually cover large areas.

Lesser celandine grows most rampantly...

(Figwort, Flore Pleno Figwort)

A tiny spring ephemeral that spreads rapidly to form extensive colonies, lesser celandine is a hardy tuberous perennial from Europe and western Asia. Highly variable, it often occurs in semi-double or double-flowered forms, which have more than the usual 8 to 12 petals. These form the Flore Pleno Group. Appearing in early spring, the glossy, yellow, circular blooms are typically yellow but may also be partly or entirely white or bronze. The lustrous, heart-shaped, dark green leaves often have silver...

(Lesser Spearwort, Spearwort)

Beautiful in summer with its upright leaves and buttercup blooms, spearwort is perfect for lining stream, pond, and bog edges. A hardy aquatic perennial, it is native from the British Isles eastward to Siberia, the Caucasus, and Turkey.

The botanical name lingua refers to the long, tongue-like, grayish green leaves that ascend from hollow, red-tinted, waist-high flowering stems. Plants also produce large, long-stalked, heart-shaped basal leaves in fall, which disappear by flowering...

(Ranunculus)

First introduced to Europe from Turkey in the late sixteenth century, Persian buttercups and their hybrids are still popular in gardens and bouquets. These tender tuberous perennials bear showy pompon-flowers in late spring and early summer. The cultivar 'Maché Cream' has fully double, rosebud-shaped, creamy white blooms. They appear in few-flowered clusters atop wiry, calf-high stems. The leaves, which typically emerge very early in the season, are deeply lobed and bluish-green. Plants go dormant...