How to Grow Buttercup Flowers (Ranunculus)

Growing Buttercups in Your Home Flower Garden

Growing Buttercup flowers is easy, perhaps too easy for this invasive plant. They are members of the Ranunculus genus. This is a large family consisting of over 1,700 species of flowers. These bright yellow, five-petaled summer bloomers, are native to Asia, Australia, Central America, North America, and Europe. Buttercups are half-hardy perennials. Some people consider this invasive plant to be nothing more than a weed. And, buttercup weeds can be difficult to control and get rid of.

Buttercup flowers look great as wildflowers, brightening up fields and hillsides. They are also at home in flower beds and rock gardens.

Child’s Play: We all will likely remember this scene… A child comes across a Buttercup flower in bloom, turns to his or her playmate, and says: “Do you like Butter?'” The buttercup flower is then placed just below the chin. If your chin glows yellow, then you do indeed like butter!

Growing Buttercups is very easy. They require little or no attention. So, if you’d like to bring back a few childhood memories, or just confirm whether you like butter, find a spot in your yard to grow these flowers.

While most of us think of Buttercups as a yellow-flowered plant, there are also orange, pink, red, and white varieties.

Buttercup Flower Plant Specifics

Flower Colors: Yellow, orange, pink, red, and white.

Flowers Bloom: Spring to summer depending upon variety.

Plant Height: One to two feet tall, depending upon variety.

Light Requirements: Full sun to partial sun.

Ideal Soil pH: 6.0 – 7.0.

Hardiness Zone: 8 – 11.

Toxicity: The plant is harmful to humans, pets and farm animals.

Native To: Asia, Australia, Central America, North America, and Europe.

Plant Type: Perennial

Botanical Name: Ranunculus

Other Names: Garden Buttercup, Persian Buttercup

Number of Species: There are over 1,700 species in the Ranunculaceae family. Some sources state there are as many as 2.252 species.

Are Ranunculus Flower Plants Edible?

No! It is somewhat toxic to humans, peats, and farm animals.

Buttercups have an acrid taste, so it is usually avoided. It can cause mouth blisters and other ailments.

Medicinal Uses for Buttercup Plants

Buttercups plants are used for a wide variety of medicinal applications.

Some of them are:

Treating wounds.
Relief from nerve pain.
To treat inflammation.
Relieves bronchial swelling.
It is used as a treatment for arthritis.
Use it as a topical treatment for skin problems.

Types of Buttercups (Ranunculus)

The thousands of species of buttercups are sorted into these major categories:

Meadow Buttercups – They are commonly found in grasslands, parks, and your own backyard or field. Most of these varieties grow up to three feet.

Creeping Buttercups – These hardy varieties grow short but spread out. This hardy plant survives being occasionally walked on.

Bulbous Buttercups – These varieties are named for their bulb-like roots. The deep roots are best suited to survive cold winters.

Hairy Buttercups – The flowers of this variety has petals with varying size and shapes. The plants grow best in cooler locations.

Water Buttercups – Also called “Greater Spearworts” and “Lesser Spearworts”. They grow in water and have large flowers.

Buttercup Weeds

Simply put, if buttercup flowers are growing in places you don’t want them to grow, then they are buttercup weeds. This includes your vegetable garden, the lawn, and even a spot in your flowerbed where you don’t want them to be. Buttercup weed control is problematic.

There are three ways to control and eliminate Buttercup weeds. First, you can handpick them. However, that can be laborious and you need to be certain that you get all of the roots. Second, you can alter their growing environment. For example, Buttercup weeds like low, acidic soils. The trouble with this method is that it can also negatively impact other plants that you want to have in the area. Finally, you can resort to chemical controls. This is very effective and okay to use in your lawn. But, if used in a flower garden, it can kill desirable flowers, too. And, you definitely do not want to use chemical weed controls in your vegetable garden.

Buttercup Seeds and Roots for Plant Propagation

Buttercups grow from seed or roots. The Buttercup seeds are difficult to germinate and takes weeks to sprout. Most people grow these plants from the division of the roots. Divide plants in spring or fall. Or, they can be bought at your local garden store.

Buttercups are invasive plants. Even small pieces of the roots can form a new plant. Make certain to use garden edging to keep them from spreading to other parts of your flowerbed, or into your lawn. It is important to control their spread.

How to Grow Buttercup Flower Plants

You might say that Buttercup flowers are too easy to grow. They are very low maintenance. The is simply very little you heed to do to care for ranunculus plants.

Buttercup plants like full sun to partial shade. They need light soil that drains well. While they do not require rich soil, this will help with their growth. They also prefer cooler soil. Mulch around your plants, if grown in a sunny location.

Add a general-purpose fertilizer in the spring, and once a month afterward.

Water established plants during dry periods and droughts.

In the fall, add a layer of mulch in cold weather areas. This will help protect the roots during the winter months.