Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Flore Pleno' (d)

About this cultivar:

Ranunculus aconitifolius 'Flore Pleno' (d) is a fantastic early season bloomer. The white, double, flowers are almost like mini-rosettes. It flowers for a long time. I have seen this cultivar being sold about 3 to 4 feet tall and straggly. I suspect this is because of competitive growing in the nursery. In our garden they are never straggly or tall. Compact, about 2 feet tall, and beautiful. Like most plants with double-flowers this cultivar won't self seed very much (unlike singles).

• Position: Full sun, Partial shade
• Soil: Almost any soil, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Flowers: April, May, June
• Other features: -
• Hardiness: Fully hardy, grows well in Ballyrobert
• Habit: Clump forming
• Foliage: Deciduous
• Height: 30 - 60 cm (1 - 2 ft)
• Spread: 30 - 60 cm (1 - 2 ft)
• Time to full growth: 2 to 5 years
• Plant type: Herbaceous Perennial
• Colour: Green, white
• Goes well with: --

About this genus:

Ranunculus (ra-nun-kul-us) is a large genus of about 600 species of plants in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). They are mostly herbaceous perennials with bright yellow or white flowers, however quite a few species bred for the cut flower industry have orange or red flowers. Ranunculus usually flower in the spring, but flowers may be found throughout the summer.

The name comes from Latin for little frog, from rana frog and a diminutive ending. This probably refers to many species being found near water. The common name buttercup may derive from a false belief that the plants give butter its characteristic yellow hue (in fact it is poisonous, and horrible to taste, to cows and other livestock).

Long appreciated for their beauty, the herbalist Gerard wrote enthusiastically about the Double White Crowfoot (as he called it) in 1596. The plant is thought to have arrived in Britain about 20 years earlier, brought across by Huguenot refugees fleeing from France. The double form - which occurs naturally - is commonly called Fair Maids of France, after its former home.

Easy to grow on these islands, they tolerate almost any soil that isn't a pond and almost any situation from full-sun to almost full shade. We love them and have a preference for the floriferous cultivars. The species can tend to seed everywhere - you can avoid this by selecting a double-flowered cultivar!