Ranunculus asiaticus | Persian Buttercup
These beautiful flowers, often referred to as the rose of spring, grow from shriveled up corms that sort of look like an octopus. Their blooms last forever and they do well in cool and warm climates. Great for flower pots and flower beds that do best when given full sun.
ANNUAL: zone 3-6
TENDER PERENNIAL: zone 7-10
TYPE: 100% fully double flowering
PRODUCTION: High 9-15 Stems each
HEIGHT: 12-20"
LIGHT: Full sun or part shade
DEER: Deer resistant
CLIMATE: Likes mild temperatures
WATER: Water regularly once sprouted
INDOOR+POTS: Grows well in containers outside
HOW TO GROW:
STEP 1 - SOAK
Before planting, soak the corms for 3-4 hours in a bowl of room temperature water. Make sure you do not over-soak them, or they will rot. As the corms soak up the water, they will plump up, often doubling in size. After soaking, corms can either be planted directly into the ground or pre-sprouted. The plants will bloom earlier if you pre-sprout.
STEP 2 - PRE-SPROUT
Fill a seed tray or planting pot half full of moist potting soil. Place the soaked corms on top of the soil and cover them with more soil until completely covered. Leave this tray in a cool place for 1-2 weeks. An unheated basement or garage would work well!
Check on the corms to make sure the soil is staying moist but isn’t soggy. After 1 week passes you can pull up a few corms to see if they have developed thin white rootlets that sort of look like hair.
STEP 3 - PLANT (Fall: zone 7-10, Spring: zone 3-6)
Prepare your planting space by adding a generous dose of compost and make sure the spot has good drainage to prevent rotting of the corms. Dig an area that’s 2-3” deep and plant the corms 9” apart with the “octopus tentacles” pointing down.
***BONUS TIP: You can dig up your corms at the end of the season when the foliage turns yellow and save them for next year!