Ranunculus ficaria Flore Pleno - Lesser Celandine

The Ranunculus ficaria 'Flore Pleno' is the double-flowered form of the widespread Lesser Celandine found in slightly damp areas of our countryside. It is a small low-growing perennial that forms a compact tuft, spreads as a carpet, and offers golden yellow, glistening water lily-like flowers in late winter or early spring. These regular flowers are charming miniatures placed on its glossy heart-shaped leaves. This plant thrives even under the cover of deciduous trees, tolerating root competition perfectly. Despite its ephemeral spring growth period, the 'Flore Pleno' celandine is extremely perennial. Combine it with the blue flowers of liverworts, blanda anemones.

The Ranunculus ficaria, also known as Ficaria verna and Ficaria ranunculoides or simply lesser celandine, belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, just like our famous buttercup. It is native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, introduced to North America where it has sometimes become invasive. It can be found in clear deciduous undergrowth, where it flowers early in spring before the leaves of the trees develop, at the edge of forests, but also in cool and moist places like riverbanks. It also likes meadows, slopes, and hedges, where it grows up to 1600m (5249ft) altitude, always on relatively fresh soil.

It is a small perennial plant with brown and swollen roots forming small tubercles. They ensure its vegetative reproduction, allowing it to colonize space more or less quickly. Its aerial vegetation disappears after flowering, which corresponds to its resting period. The lesser celandine spends the first part of winter as buds and develops its new foliage before flowering, in January-February depending on the climate.

The 'Flore Pleno' form is distinguished by its fully double flowers. Forming a small tuft 5-7 cm (2-3in) tall for the foliage, this celandine spreads at least 30 cm (12in) on the ground. Its rosette foliage consists of small heart-shaped leaves, 4 to 6 cm (2in) wide, thick, shiny, and fairly light and vivid green. The flowering period takes place from March to May depending on the climate, sometimes as early as February. Clumps of foliage emerge from 15-20 cm (6-8in) tall peduncles, each carrying a solitary flower 3 to 4 cm (1 to 2in) in diameter, composed of petals of shining yellow, perfectly organized in superimposed ranks, decreasing in size. The flower opens in the morning and closes in the evening, even in cloudy or rainy weather. Before the vegetation disappears, the plant develops white bulbils in the axils of the leaves. They detach themselves along with a small piece of stem with a bud. This mini seedling falls to the ground and roots there, ensuring the multiplication of the celandine, which does not reproduce by seeds.

Being truly easy to grow in ordinary soil, the 'Flore Pleno' lesser celandine has good hardiness (-20°C (-4°F)). It prefers moist soils, even marshy ones, but also adapts easily to any good soil that is not too dry. Its summer dormant period allows it to withstand drier periods. It can also be grown in pots to flower on a terrace or balcony, starting from late winter. Plant it at the edge of a grove or in a wildflower bed, in partial shade or full sun, alongside liverworts (Hepatica nobilis), lungworts, brunneras, or blue forget-me-nots, with their complementary colours. It is also a good perennial for moist banks, even in partial shade, next to Rodgersias pinnata Chocolate Wings or Actaea simplex Brunette, with their purple foliage.