Ranunculus asiaticus Brushmark Cesar® - Persian Buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus Brushmark Cesar® is a charming Persian buttercup with large, double flowers, randomly washed and edged with purplish-pink on a white background. Its delicate spring flowering can be appreciated up close in a bouquet, from further away in a garden bed, or within reach in a beautiful pot on the terrace.

Belonging to the Ranunculaceae family, this selection derives from the species Ranunculus asiaticus, the Persian buttercup, also known as the garden ranunculus and the Oriental buttercup. The wild form is native to southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia; its natural range extends from Greece and Crete to Turkey, the Levant, and as far as western Iran. It is found in sunny locations, under Mediterranean-type climates with dry summers and mild winters. It is a tuberous perennial with seasonal growth: it grows, flowers, then disappears in summer; only its underground tubers remain in the soil.

Brushmark Cesar® was developed by Aya Engei; this cultivar belongs to the Brushmark series, distributed by Green Works. This series brings together early varieties, with a long vase life, featuring large bicoloured flowers borne on long, full, and sturdy stems. Brushmark Cesar® stands out for its variegated colouring and the slightly irregular shape of its flowers. In the garden, the plant forms a clump of medium green, divided leaves at ground level. The leaves, divided into lobes, somewhat resemble parsley. The flowering stems rise well above the foliage, reaching 50 to 60 cm. They bear very large, more or less double flowers, measuring 8 to 15 cm in diameter depending on growing conditions. The petals open into a cup shape and then into a wide rosette. Each one has a white to creamy white background with a randomly coloured edge ranging from pink to purplish-violet. Flowering occurs in February-March under cover, and from April to May in the garden. The Persian buttercup can withstand temperatures down to approximately -4/-5 °C in a very well-drained soil. Outside the mildest areas, its tubers will need to be overwintered in a cool but frost-free location.

In the garden, this beautiful Brushmark Cesar® variety can be planted in small groups, in a well-kept border, a flower bed, or a cutting garden. Its flower has a decidedly romantic style. In a large spring bouquet, you can pair it with double late tulip ‘Black Hero’, lily-flowered tulip ‘Marylin’, a few stems of Spanish bluebell 'Rose Queen' and the perennial wallflower Erysimum ‘Poem Lavender’. Whether in a pot or in the ground, provide it with fertile, light, very well-drained soil in a location sheltered from the wind.