Tall Buttercup
Ranunculus acris
- Native to:
- Albania, Aleutian Is., Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Føroyar, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Kuril Is., Labrador, Netherlands, North Caucasus, Norway, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Dmitry Makeev
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus:
- Ranunculus
- Species:
- Ranunculus acris
- USDA Symbol:
- RAAC3
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Geophyte
- Height:
- 100 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Low
- Bloom Months:
- may,jun,jul,aug
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Butterflies & Moths:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented Lepidoptera association (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Pollen Specialist Bee Keystone:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Native pollen specialist bee species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
sparganothis fruitworm moth (Sparganothis sulfureana), stalk borer moth (Papaipema nebris)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- bees, butterflies
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- fertile, moisture-retentive loam
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Common in meadows and pastures; prefers damp conditions.
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 30–60 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