Ranunculus asiaticus White Pink Bicolor - Persian Buttercup

The white, very double and very round flowers of the Asian Buttercup with white double flowers with striped edge have fine, highly coloured margins that highlight the edge of each of their diaphanous petals. Gathered in clusters, they compose a refined and tender vegetal symphony. This small, perennial and frost-sensitive bulbous plant, also known as Ranunculus asiaticus, blooms in spring, bringing a lot of poetry to flower beds and potted plants. Not content with being so adorned, its very coquettish flowers last 3 weeks in a vase. Not very hardy, it is cultivated in partial shade or in the sun, in moist, humus-rich soil.

The Asian Buttercup, also known as garden buttercup or oriental buttercup, is a herbaceous perennial plant with tubers native to the eastern Mediterranean (Greece, Crete), from the buttercup family, just like our Buttercup. The white double-flowered and striped edge Buttercup, from which it originates, is a variety with spring flowering that is often intended for cultivation under cover, in floristry, to hasten the production of its magnificent corollas. In May-June, each bulb produces up to 10 large, very full, bicolorued flowers, white and edged with different shades of pink, mauve, orange or red. These flowers measure from 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter and do not produce seeds.

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 buttercup 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 bundle, sometimes called a "claw".

The Asian Buttercup Rose 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 longevity. It can be combined in floral compositions with old roses that resemble them so much, or even with modern roses with perfect forms, in shades ranging from blue-mauve to garnet, through all pastel or vibrant nuances. By digging up the tubers in autumn, before the frost, this plant can be cultivated like a gladiolus.