Ranunculus auricomus
goldilocks buttercup
Overview
Ranunculus auricomus is a slender woodland buttercup, 4-16 inches (10-40 cm) tall, of shaded and semi-shaded ground. The basal leaves are rounded to kidney-shaped and shallowly lobed, while the leaves on the flowering stem are cut into narrow, finger-like segments, so the two leaf forms look quite different. From April to May it bears golden-yellow flowers about 0.6-1 inch (15-25 mm) across on branching stems. A reliable feature is that many flowers are imperfect, with one or more petals small, distorted, or missing altogether, so blooms with only two or three petals are common. The fruit is a rounded head of small, downy achenes. It grows in damp deciduous woodland, coppice, hedge banks, and shaded grassland on neutral to lime-rich soils that hold moisture in spring. The plant reproduces largely without normal fertilisation, by apomixis, which has produced hundreds of slightly differing microspecies across its range. Like other buttercups its sap contains protoanemonin, which is acrid and irritant to skin and to grazing animals. It dies back by midsummer, spending the rest of the year as a dormant rootstock.
Native Range
Native across most of Europe and into western Asia, from the British Isles and Scandinavia south to the Mediterranean and east toward the Caucasus and Siberia.Suggested Uses
Grown in woodland and shade gardens, on damp banks, and in naturalistic spring plantings under deciduous trees. It suits wildlife and native plant schemes on moist, leafy soil. It is not suited to hot, dry, sunny borders or to containers.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height4" - 1'4"
Width/Spread4" - 8"
Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years
Bloom Information
Golden-yellow flowers open from April to May, among the earlier buttercups to bloom. Many flowers carry fewer than the usual five petals, or petals that are shrunken or absent. Small insects visit the flowers, though much seed forms without pollination through apomixis.
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 2-6 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight