Ranunculus asiaticus Romance Nohant® - Persian buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus Romance Nohant® is a florist's ranunculus easily recognisable by the size of its flowers and their original, ornamental colour. From the clump of finely cut leaves, long, sturdy stems emerge that showcase magnificent, very double flowers. These flowers, with a remarkable diameter of up to 15 cm, are in coral shades ranging from salmon pink to orange, giving them a luminous elegance. Loving sunny positions and regions with mild winters, where it can flower early, it naturally finds its place in spring borders and is perfect for refined cut flower arrangements. In colder areas, it is usually grown as an annual bulbous plant. 

Ranunculus belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, from which it takes its name, and includes around sixty other genera, several of which are highly prized in gardens, such as the popular Anemones, or the less common yet stunning bugbanes, also known as Fairy Candles due to their long flower spikes. The Ranunculus genus comprises nearly 500 species distributed across temperate regions of the world. Ranunculus asiaticus, called Asian buttercup or florist's ranunculus, is a tuberous perennial with a summer dormancy, native to the Mediterranean basin. It grows wild in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Syria, in meadows and rocky ground. Extensively bred by horticulturists for centuries, it has given rise to many cultivars, sometimes not officially registered. The Romance™ series, created by the Japanese specialist Aya Engei in his nursery in Miyazaki (Kyushu Island, southern Japan), perfectly illustrates this long-term selection work.
The variety Romance Nohant stands out particularly for the extraordinary size of its flowers. The plant quickly forms an upright clump 20 to 30 cm wide, composed of finely cut, medium green, sometimes slightly glaucous foliage, which is very decorative. This foliage is arranged in a basal rosette from which strong, solid, non-hollow flower stems emerge, generally reaching 50 to 80 cm in height. These stems particularly highlight the double flowers, whose diameter ranges from 10 cm to 15 cm at full maturity. They consist of numerous tightly packed petals with an irregular edge. Their rosette-like arrangement, opening into a cup shape at maturity, is similar to the silhouette of roses or peonies. Their colour is truly captivating, displaying gradations from deep salmon pink to champagne and orange tones. The flowers are so large that just a dozen of them are enough to make a beautiful bouquet. In Mediterranean climates, flowering occurs between February/March and April, while it occurs between April and June/July in cooler regions. Each flower remains beautiful for 1 to 2 weeks on the plant, and they follow one another for a total flowering duration of 6 to 8 weeks, sometimes longer, especially if temperatures are cool (but with sunny exposure). After flowering, the foliage remains active for a time, allowing the tubers to replenish their reserves before gradually entering summer dormancy. It then dries completely to reappear the following year.

Ranunculus Romance Nohant® is a high-end horticultural selection, ideal for making elegant, long-lasting bouquets (around two weeks in a vase). It thrives well in mild climates, tolerating temperatures close to -5°C in well-drained soil, and appreciates a sunny position. It integrates very well into borders alongside Tulips, with which it creates superb spring scenes. You can add plants of Blue Sylva Forget-me-not to create original colour combinations and explore the range of Primroses, rich in forms, colours and varied flowering times to enrich your scene. In cold climates, you can grow this Ranunculus like a Gladiolus by lifting the tubers (claws) in autumn, before frost. Alternatively, plant it in a pot and overwinter it in a frost-free place.