Taxonomy

Division:

Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants

Family:

Ranunculaceae

Genus:

Ranunculus

Species:

Ranunculus abortivus

USDA Symbol:

RAAB

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:

Biennial | Perennial

Growth Habit:

Geophyte

Height:

60 cm

Light Requirements:

Shade

Drought Tolerance:

Low

Bloom Months:

apr,may,jun

Bloom Colors:

yellow

Wildlife Benefits

Bees:

★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)

Keystone Species Ranking

Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:

★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:

bees, small pollinators

Deer Resistant:

Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:

rich, well-drained loamy soil

pH:

5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)

Drainage:

tolerates poor drainage

Moisture:

consistently moist

Notes:

commonly found in woodland and forest edges

Propagation & Germination

Stratification:

Cold/moist stratification required — 60–90 days

Germination Time:

14–42 days

Notes:

Seeds require light for germination. Cold stratification improves germination rates significantly.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI