Ranunculus asiaticus Butterfly Minerva® - Persian buttercup

Ranunculus asiaticus Butterfly Minerva® distinguishes itself from traditional florist's ranunculus with its more natural and less sophisticated appearance. It develops single to semi-double, widely open flowers with well-spread petals. Their overall hue is a light orange-yellow, blended with apricot and peach accents, while their satiny texture elegantly catches the light. Borne on long stems, they are ideal for cut flower arrangements that last two to three weeks in a vase. Suited to sunny climates and mild winters in the south, this perennial should be grown as an annual elsewhere, or in pots to be protected from frost.

Ranunculus is the flagship genus of the Ranunculaceae family, which takes its name from it. It comprises around sixty genera, some of which are very popular in the garden, such as Hellebores, renowned for their winter flowering, or others that are a little more niche, such as the charming Meadow Rue. The Ranunculus genus includes no fewer than 500 species distributed across temperate regions of the globe. Ranunculus asiaticus, known as the Persian buttercup or florist's ranunculus, is a tuberous perennial that goes dormant during summer. Native to the Mediterranean basin, it is found wild in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria, where it grows in meadows and on rocky or sandy ground subject to dry summers.
Numerous horticultural varieties have been brought to market by breeders who have developed an interest in this species, which is already very ornamental in the wild. The Butterfly™ series is the work of the Japanese breeder Aya Engei, a recognised specialist in the genus, whose production nursery is located in the city of Miyazaki (on the island of Kyushu, in the south of the Japanese archipelago, benefiting from a sunny climate). The cultivars in this horticultural series are recognisable by their light habit and luminous flowering. Minerva quickly forms an upright clump about 25 cm wide and 60 cm tall or more. Its stems bear finely divided, medium to bright green foliage, which dries up after flowering when the plant enters summer dormancy. Each branched stem produces between 5 and 7 flowers, making this variety particularly floriferous. The flowers are single to semi-double and open fully at maturity. The corollas are predominantly yellow on the periphery and light orange in the centre, surrounding the sexual floral parts with a deep orange. Their almost shiny, satiny appearance catches the slightest ray of sunlight, giving them apricot or peach highlights. The flexible stems sway in the wind, giving this Buttercup a somewhat wild silhouette when planted in groups in a border...

Florist's Ranunculus Butterfly Minerva® captivates with its natural look, far removed from the very structured forms of classic varieties. To maintain a light tone and a spontaneous atmosphere, pair it with Love-in-a-mist, which will take over flowering in summer, offering you very fine foliage and flowers, then sculptural seed pods. Wallflowers will also allow you to enrich the colour palette of your scene, while Evergreen Ornamental Grasses will help you structure your border, while maintaining fineness and lightness.