I have been missing the more temperate climate flowers that grow zone 6 up and Ranunculus was one of them so I indulged in some corms last fall when they were available. These dried up little bundles stayed in the fridge all winter and I brought them out a couple of weeks ago. They would probably have been okay on the shelf but the fridge held a consistent temperature and helped them stay dormant.

The corms are made up of little tubers that resemble a shriveled octopus. I have not grown them for a very long time and was amazed to see how quickly they expanded when soaked in a bowl of tepid water. Ranunculus are a cool weather plant even though they will not survive cold winter temperatures in zones below 7. The flowers bloom at the same time as pansies and late spring bulbs so a head start is required in this climate.

After their bath I just lay them on some damp potting mix in a shallow tray. Within two to three days they had all sprouted and I began to wonder if March was too early to start them. They are all now potted up into small fiber pots and I hope they will continue to thrive until the night temperatures are mostly above freezing. I likely will have to make a tunnel of row cover when they first go out but I am so looking forward to their fabulous flower heads which resemble roses. The plant is also known as Persian Buttercup and is related to the many other buttercups we know.

Luckily I have an unheated greenhouse where I may choose to pot these up into a large spring planter.