Ranunculus Species, Early Buttercup, Early Crowsfoot, Prairie Buttercup, Tufted Buttercup

Very pretty blooms. It's now at the end of March and the blooming period seems to be gone.

One of the earlier spring-blooming native prairie plants (it is native from MN to KS, NE, eastern CO, OK, TX, and east ex. FL). It is sh...Read Moreort, usu. 2-6", but can get a couple inches taller in ideal conditions. It can re-bloom in mid fall (Oct. in the upper midwest), although this isn't guaranteed. We've planted it in a rarely mowed path of buffalo and blue grama grass and flagstones between two native garden beds and a native rain garden, along with prairie, birdsfoot, and labrador violets and pasque flowers to provide some spring interest in the grasses which don't green up until May. The buttercup becomes largely invisible after the grasses start growing, until the fall bloom.

Mildly drought tolerant (can go several weeks without any water), although it isn't appropriate for an unwatered garden in the driest parts of the West. It likes well-drained soils, but can do fine in the rainier east on less than ideal soils.

From seed, cold moist stratify for 4-6 weeks for best germination. Available from a number of native plant nurseries as both plants/rootstock and seed.