CROWFOOT

Family RANUNCULACEAE
Ranunculus species
Perennial

A genus of several hundred species found throughout the world. Ranunculus asiaticus, or Turban Buttercup, is an old garden favourite of a foot high with elegantly cut foliage and double yellow flowers, one and a half inches across.

From this species come the garden varieties known as Turkish, with orange, yellow or purple flowers; Persian, with double and single flowers of every shade except blue.

This is a species with tuberous roots, comprising claw-like fangs that are placed facing downwards when planting.

Ranunculus aconitifolius flore-pleno, known as Fair Maids of France, is densely covered with small white flowers of rosette-like form.
Ranunculus acris flore-pleno, the Batchelor’s Button, will attain two feet, with button-like rosettes of rich yellow.
Ranunculus amplexicaulis, six to twelve inches high, has single flowers of white.
Ranunculus lyallii, from New Zealand, is a gem with waxy white flowers, two to three inches across.

It requires alpine garden conditions.
The tuberous-rooted kinds demand a sandy soil, rich in humus and moist.

Propagate tuberous-rooted species by offsets and the remainder by division.

Flowering is from April to September.

Ranunculus
Hardy Perennial.
Six inches to two feet.
Flowers white or yellow, April to August.

The herbaceous Ranunculi are close relations of the Common Buttercup, and like it prefers a moist loam verging on clay.
The following kinds should be planted in borders, and left to themselves for some years; they must have moisture, and will stand shade.

R. aconitifolius plenus “Fair Maids of France”. Eighteen inches, double white flowers in May and June.
R. acris plenus “Bachelor’s Buttons” resembles the last, but the flowers are bright yellow.

Ranunculus
Tuberous or Asiatic.

A hardy though somewhat capricious plant. The roots are small irregular tubers, more or less forky; they do best when planted in February, two inches deep and about six apart.
The soil must be moist, but not water-logged or sour; avoid fresh manure; the loamy clay in which the Buttercup is at home will suit the Ranunculus. Weed the bed as the spring advances, water if rain fails.
The flowers are due in May and June, close-petalled and globular, like little roses; the colours range from white through yellow, orange, scarlet, rose, to deep purple, either selfs or edged and striped.
The class called Turban Ranunculus is rather more robust than the Persian, but whether these, the French or the Scotch varieties are planted, the beginner must be prepared for disappointment.

The Ranunculus is not everybody’s flower; where it thrives, few things are better worth growing, but in gardens where it is evidently not happy, it is a mistake to fight against Nature.
As soon as the foliage dies off, the tubers should be taken up, cleaned and dried, and kept dry and cool until next planting time