Ranunculus asiaticus Butterfly Jupiter® - Persian Buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus Butterfly Jupiter® is an original Persian buttercup, distinguished by its more natural appearance compared to classic varieties with sophisticated flowering. This variety produces single to semi-double flowers, with very open corollas formed of well-spread petals. The flowers are light pink on the periphery and slightly purplish at the centre and have a satiny surface. They are borne on long stems, making them ideal for creating superb cut flower arrangements that last at least two weeks in a vase. Well-suited to the sunny conditions of the south and especially to mild winters, this perennial should be grown elsewhere as an annual, or in a pot to be brought under cover from frost in winter.

Buttercup belongs to the Ranunculaceae family, which includes about sixty other genera. Among them, some are highly prized in the garden, such as the well-known Delphiniums or Larkspurs, or Hellebores appreciated for their winter flowering. The Ranunculus genus includes nearly 500 species distributed in temperate zones around the world. Ranunculus asiaticus, known by its common names of Asian buttercup or Persian buttercup, is a tuberous perennial plant that goes dormant during the summer. Native to the Mediterranean basin, it is found in the wild in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. There, it grows in meadows as well as on rocky or sandy soils, in climates with a marked dry period in summer.
Breeders have developed many horticultural varieties from it, often grouped into series such as the Butterfly™ series. The cultivars in this group are characterised by their airy appearance (hence the name Butterfly) and their very bright flowering. Jupiter quickly forms an upright clump, 25 cm wide and 60 cm or more in height. These stems are clothed with pretty, divided, soft to medium green leaves, which dry up in summer after flowering when the plant goes dormant. The stems branch at one-third of their height and then again at two-thirds, developing leaves at each of these levels. This allows them to bear 5 to 8 flowers, making Butterfly Jupiter® a very floriferous variety. The flowers are sometimes single, sometimes semi-double, opening completely at maturity, unlike double varieties, which most often bloom in a cup or spherical shape. The centre, consisting of stamens and pistil, is dark purple, creating a lovely contrast with the pink corolla. The petals are deep pink at the base, and light pink with a hint of salmon in the upper part, giving the flower a smart appearance. Their satiny surface has a knack for capturing light, making the flowering particularly bright and attractive.

Buttercup Butterfly Jupiter® will appeal to lovers of natural style, as its flowers are so different from classic varieties, structured into very geometric rosettes. Plant it in a border alongside Anemone coronaria in varied colours and Daffodils to further enrich the colour palette of your scene. You can also sow seeds of Honeywort 'Kiwi Blue', a curious annual (or biennial) with bluish foliage and purplish flowering, also very much in a light "butterfly" spirit. To complete your display, add a few Ornamental Grasses to enhance the slightly wild, airy tone of your border. In climates with cold winters, you can reuse your Buttercup's claw tubers by lifting them before winter, in the same way as Gladioli.