Anemone ranunculoides
Encyclopedia
Anemone ranunculoides, the yellow anemone, yellow wood anemone or buttercup anemone, is a species of herbaceous
perennial plant
that grows in forests across most of Continental Europe
, and less frequently in the Mediterranean region. It is not native to the British Isles
, though it may occasionally be found as a garden escape.
Growing to 5-15 cm tall, the plant is herbaceous, dying back down to its root-like rhizome
s by mid summer. The rhizomes spread just below the earth surface and multiply quickly, contributing to its rapid spread in woodland conditions. The flower
is about 1.5 cm diameter, with from five to eight petal
-like segments (actually tepal
s) of rich yellow colouring.
and alpine garden enthusiasts. It has been awarded an Award of Garden Merit
or AGM, H4 (hardy throughout the British Isles) by the Royal Horticultural Society
.
Anemone ranunculoides 'Frank Waley', a larger-growing, more robust cultivar
, is sometimes available, as are the miniature subspecies
A. ranunculoides subsp. wockeana and a selection known as A. ranunculoides 'Laciniata', with finely divided leaves. There is also a double-flowered cultivar, A. ranunculoides 'Pleniflora' (also sometimes listed as 'Semiplena' or 'Flore Pleno').
, is similar to A. ranunculoides but has slightly larger flowers (usually white, but they may be pinkish or lilac, often with a darker tint to the back of the 'petals'). Anemone × lipsiensis is a hybrid between these two species and has pale yellow flowers; it is often found where the two parent species grow near each other. A. × lipsiensis 'Pallida' is the best-known result of this cross. A most attractive plant, it has been awarded the AGM, H4, like both of its parents.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
perennial plant
Perennial plant
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
that grows in forests across most of Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
, and less frequently in the Mediterranean region. It is not native to the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, though it may occasionally be found as a garden escape.
Growth
It flowers between March and May.Growing to 5-15 cm tall, the plant is herbaceous, dying back down to its root-like rhizome
Rhizome
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
s by mid summer. The rhizomes spread just below the earth surface and multiply quickly, contributing to its rapid spread in woodland conditions. The flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
is about 1.5 cm diameter, with from five to eight petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
-like segments (actually tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s) of rich yellow colouring.
Cultivation
The plant is widely grown as a garden plant, especially by rock gardenRock Garden
The Rock Garden or Rock Garden of Chandigarh is a Sculpture garden in Chandigarh, India, also known as Nek Chand's Rock Garden after its founder Nek Chand, a government official who started the garden secretly in his spare time in 1957. Today it is spread over an area of forty-acres , it is...
and alpine garden enthusiasts. It has been awarded an Award of Garden Merit
Award of Garden Merit
The Award of Garden Merit, or AGM, is an award made to garden plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society after a period of assessment by the appropriate committees of the Society...
or AGM, H4 (hardy throughout the British Isles) by the Royal Horticultural Society
Royal Horticultural Society
The Royal Horticultural Society was founded in 1804 in London, England as the Horticultural Society of London, and gained its present name in a Royal Charter granted in 1861 by Prince Albert...
.
Anemone ranunculoides 'Frank Waley', a larger-growing, more robust cultivar
Cultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
, is sometimes available, as are the miniature subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
A. ranunculoides subsp. wockeana and a selection known as A. ranunculoides 'Laciniata', with finely divided leaves. There is also a double-flowered cultivar, A. ranunculoides 'Pleniflora' (also sometimes listed as 'Semiplena' or 'Flore Pleno').
Related species and hybrids
Wood anemone, Anemone nemorosaAnemone nemorosa
Anemone nemorosa is an early-spring flowering plant in the genus Anemone in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe. Common names include wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed and smell fox, an allusion to the musky smell of the leaves...
, is similar to A. ranunculoides but has slightly larger flowers (usually white, but they may be pinkish or lilac, often with a darker tint to the back of the 'petals'). Anemone × lipsiensis is a hybrid between these two species and has pale yellow flowers; it is often found where the two parent species grow near each other. A. × lipsiensis 'Pallida' is the best-known result of this cross. A most attractive plant, it has been awarded the AGM, H4, like both of its parents.