Ranunculus asiaticus Red - Persian Buttercup

Sumptuous and colourful, the Asian Double Red Ranunculus, a variety of Ranunculus asiaticus, offers a flowering with very rich shades in spring; a profusion of very round, very full and very double red flowers. Striking in flower beds, it also grows very well in pots. Not content with being adorned in this way, its very coquettish flowers last for 3 weeks in a vase. Not very hardy, it grows in semi-shade or in the sun, in fresh, humiferous soil.

The Asian Ranunculus, also known as garden ranunculus or oriental ranunculus, is a perennial herbaceous plant with tubers originating from the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Crete), from the buttercup family, just like our Buttercup. The Asian Double Red Ranunculus, derived from this species, is a spring flowering variety that is often intended for greenhouse cultivation, in floristry, to speed up the production of its magnificent corollas. In May-June, each bulb produces up to 10 large, very full cup-shaped flowers. These flowers measure from 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter.

Its  deciduous foliage develops in a rosette. The basal leaves measure from 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6in) in length. They are pale to dark green, divided into three deep lobes. At maturity, this Asian ranunculus can reach  35 cm (14in) in height. It is a hardy plant that can withstand temperatures down to -10°C (14°F). Its root is very perennial, consisting of several small elongated tubers, grouped together in a vascular bundle, which are sometimes called "claws".

The Asian ranunculus can be cultivated in flower beds, borders, rockeries and even in pots on a terrace. It is a very ornamental plant that is also used in bouquets, for its excellent durability. It can be combined in floral compositions with old roses that resemble them so much, or even with modern roses with perfect shapes, in shades ranging from blue-mauve to garnet, through all shades of pink. By digging up the tubers in autumn, before the frost, this plant can be cultivated like a gladiolus.