Ranunculus asiaticus Romance Get Lucky® - Persian buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus Romance™ Get Lucky® is a florist's ranunculus that you will love for its very large, brilliant red, double flowers and its long, very straight stems. Its colour is rich but not harsh, providing a real presence in bouquets. This variety was first selected for cut flowers, but it is also lovely in a large pot or a spring border.

This variety belongs to the family of Ranunculaceae. The wild species, Ranunculus asiaticus, is known as the florist's ranunculus, garden ranunculus, Asian ranunculus or oriental ranunculus. It is distributed from the southern Aegean islands to western and southwestern Iran. It is found in sunny environments, in stony or gravelly soils. It is a plant from regions with fairly mild winters and dry summers. A tuberous perennial with fleshy claws, it grows during winter, flowers in spring, then enters summer dormancy.

Romance™ is a Japanese horticultural series from Aya Engei developed for cut flowers. This series is sought after for the remarkable size of its flowers, the length of its stems and its good vase life. The flowers of Get Lucky® are very double, arranged in a tight rosette, with a multitude of fine, satiny, tightly overlapping petals. It resembles a very full small peony or old-fashioned rose. The flower diameter reaches 9 to 15 cm at full bloom, depending on growing conditions. The plant forms an erect clump 45 to 60 cm tall in flower. The foliage develops very early in the season, sheltered from frost; it is bright green, deeply cut and slightly crinkled. The rhizome is not very hardy (-5°C at peak in dry soil). In most regions, it must be sheltered from hard frosts, under a bright shelter. It will flower from January to April, depending on the growing method. This variety is suitable for forcing, providing early flowering from January.

You can grow the Asian ranunculus in flower beds, borders and even in a pot on a terrace. The variety Romance™ Get Lucky® excels in spring displays. Always plant it in light, fertile, very well-drained soil. In heavy soil, it is best to grow it in a container or on a mound. It can be combined in floral arrangements with Delft Blue hyacinths, daffodil 'Dutch Master', mixed viridiflora tulips and white forget-me-not 'Snowsylva'. All these garden flowers will be good together in a large bouquet at home.
Lift the tubers in autumn, before frosts, to grow this plant like a gladiolus.