Buttercup Flower- Meaning, types and gardening

Buttercup is the common name for representing all members of the Ranunculus genus in the Ranunculaceae family. Buttercup flower comes in different shapes, sizes, colors, and types. Although yellow buttercup is the most common type, which you can meet in the common gardens. There are about 600 plants in nature recorded by the field experts. Water crowfoots and spearworts are the other known names for the members of the genus.

Common buttercup is a yellow plant which grows in large fields. The physical form of the buttercup flower is the real eye turner because the shape is unique and astonishing. Most folks know it as buttercup flowers because of the shapes, which resemble tiny fairy hats.

buttercup flower

Definition and Meaning of Buttercup flower

Buttercup symbolism is a crucial aspect of everybody’s lives. Just like other flowers, it gives such a meaningful existence in a person’s life. Buttercup flowers come with significant meaning and beauty worth sharing with your special one or your friends.
We know that sometimes it is tough to convey our feelings to others. Many human emotions are hard to describe unless there are great mediums to convey the message. Here is where the buttercup flowers enter to help the persons to send their messages to others.

Flowers are not only common gifts that will make joyful experiences for the recipients. The flower symbolism has such deep meaning which we can connect to our lives so that there will be a reason to keep it blooming the entire time.
The stunning and bright appeals of the buttercup flowers are fantastic. One would not regret having them at your home.

Buttercup flower lifespan

These flowers’ lifespan will depend on their species, climate, and how the treatment and care they receive. Most buttercup plants can live and bloom for at least ten years. However, this lifespan can be achieved when there is no other factor that can affect its quality. Only a few can last this long since some of them are killed by herbicides or get rid of. Buttercup grows in the wild. It is usually not significant to the hay fields because of its toxic nature. But the beauty of the buttercup flowers is inevitable. You can plant the flowers in your garden and will have such beautiful blooms for ten years before the plant stops flowering.

Having the buttercup flowers in your garden requires patience and time since it does not flower until the second year of the growth. But when they bloom, they will last for as long as ten years. Some gardeners also reported that they managed to make the buttercup plant to flower for more than ten years.

buttercup flower

Buttercup Flower Philosophical Meaning

Buttercup flowers have been around since human ancestors. It is depicted in many cultures around the world. Amongst many meanings, here are the most common ones:

Modesty

Buttercup flowers also convey the meaning of simplicity, beauty, and humility. As you look at it, you will agree that it is beautiful as it is. The modesty of its beauty is irresistible. Sometimes, people do not need extravagant things. They’d rather seek simplicity. If this describes you or someone you know, you could have the buttercup flower as your companion.

Appeal, desirability, and charm

Buttercup flowers can also aspire as the charm, appeal, and desirability symbol. If you give this to someone you think special for you, it is also the other way to send someone a crushing message. It is a noticeable message for someone you like. However, make sure that your recipient knows or at least will look up into the meaning to deliver your message well.

Tidiness and neatness

Buttercup flowers have fine lines and good petals. And because of these excellent characteristics, the flower can symbolize tidiness and neatness. With such meaning and features, the buttercup flowers can make a perfect gift for those who want to have compact decorating items. It can make a great choice if your recipients do not like large flowers. Buttercup flowers have smaller sizes, which are simply beautiful and appealing. You can plant them in your garden and take them two years later to give them to someone special.

Immaturity, youth, and childishness

Buttercup flowers have such bright and elevating nuances. People who see them will feel joyous and fresh. But these also convey such immaturity, youth, and childishness. These bright colors are the best to represent the childishness of a person. You might be able to see its relevance with your favorite cartoon movies that you watched back then. You will notice some buttercup flowers blooming in some scenes.

Stories of Buttercup Flowers

Buttercup Flowers have different origins of the name. Back in history, there are several stories linked to the Buttercup Flowers.
Buttercup has gotten Ranunculus’s name, the historical young male entertainer with a beautiful and soothing voice. Ranunculus performed in front of wooden nymphs with his beautiful voice. However, he didn’t know that his body was too tired to sing many songs. It was too late to realize, and he finally exhausted himself to death. The Buttercup got the name after him to honor his history. Since Ranunculus fell to the ground where these small flowers grew, these flowers named after him as the Buttercup flower.

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But the other story tells us different things which might be more sensible. Back then, in the hayfield, cows accidentally ate the buttercup flowers. Folks said that cows who had these experiences could produce the sweetest and tastiest milk. That’s why the flower is named Buttercup.

There is also another unpopular story about buttercup flowers. Buttercup folklore stories have been passed down from one generation to the next ones both in Eastern and Western cultures. You might see the different names of the characters but the points of the story are the same. The buttercup flower comes from a story about the miser and the fairies. There was an old miser who dragged a sack of gold across the field. It looked like the gold was too heavy so that he couldn’t cross the area anytime sooner. Fairies noticed it and asked for some gold from him. But miser didn’t want to give some of his gold. Fairies then scratch the sack with their grass blade, and the gold coins started to get out of the packs. The coins fell on the soil, and the small buttercup flower grew.

There are dozens of stories in which you can find the buttercup flower tied with them. The multi meanings can also give you more options to choose to give them to your family and friends. Buttercup flower simplicity is often the safest choice to get new decoration, bouquet gifts, friendly gestures, and many other purposes.

Happiness is supposedly simple. One can pursue it with the modesty and simplicity of the buttercup flowers. You can either buy it from the flower shop and give it to your special one, or grow it inside your homes without any hassle. Buttercup flowers will add more excitement to your life.

buttercup flower

Colors of Buttercup flower

Buttercup flower natural colors are yellow and green. The most common one is the yellow buttercup flower. The symbolic meaning based on the buttercup flower’s color is also significant to understand so that you won’t mislead in giving or conveying the message.
The yellow buttercup flower symbolizes happiness, joyful experience, as well as friendship. It is also sometimes symbolizing the crush or love but in a lighter way. In a love relationship, it symbolizes the early step of the relationship.

The Yellow buttercup flower can make the recipient happier. It is a great gift or surprise on several occasions such as birthday, baby shower, anniversary, friendship, bachelor, bar mitzvah, and many more. You can also get it for adding more beauty in your garden or yard. A yellow buttercup flower is a hand-off option which can bring positiveness and bright energy to you and your family.

buttercup flower

The green buttercup flower symbolizes good fortune, health, and youth. You can plant the green buttercup flower in your garden and keep it at home. The green buttercup flower usually grows in the wild, but this kind of flower has been long domesticated because of its beauty and it’s significant meaning. The series of green buttercup flowers at your home can deliver such positive energy and make the great moments to spend with your family and guests.

There are also other color buttercup flowers such as pink flower, orange flower, and red. While the natural colors of buttercup flowers are green and yellow, these variants are also famous for gifting, decorating, and gardening. This series of colors can also give you more expansive options of the buttercup flowers you will want to grow at home and give to someone you care about and love.

The pink buttercup flower symbolizes romance and love. It can define the early relationship between you and someone special. Pink is lighter than red. Therefore, it is a great one to convey the care or love to someone you like. Meanwhile, a red buttercup flower symbolizes passionate love. If you have a more profound feeling someone, then the red colored buttercup flowers can be the best to represent your true feelings.

Meanwhile, the orange buttercup flowers can signify strong emotions. You could combine these colors if you’d want to give them to someone. Some folks mix and match the different colors of buttercup flowers for unique valentine gifts. But these flowers are a good “GO” for any occasion that involves your special one.

Ranunculus

Secret Message

Buttercup Flower has an important message for the eyes of the beholder. In some scenarios, this flower is the message that brings positive energy to enjoy life more and pursue happiness on the right track. Ones are supposed to be happy when they have their life. Buttercup Flowers always remind us to make our life more meaningful with meaningful people surrounding us.

Toxicity of the plant

Some of them are safe to touch, but some of them are known as poisonous flowers. If the live plant’s stem or flower damage, glucose in the damaged part will convert into glucose and toxic material called protoanemonin. Therefore that these damaged flowers and stems are dangerous for adults and kids to play around with. This protoanemonin is poisoning for especially cattle and horses, if they eat it. Other effects of poisoning buttercup plants are excessive salivation, blistering the mucous membrane of body cavities, and diarrhea.

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However, some buttercup plants have a medicinal value, which can treat rheumatism, redness of the skin, and intermittent fever. It is also used in traditional medicine treatments for minor diseases.

Planting Buttercup

Buttercup can plant in flower pots, containers, planting beds, and land borders. Since they prefer sunlight, exposing at least six hours to the sun is recommended. Especially if you plan to plant in pots or containers, exposure to the sun is compulsory. Buttercup plants make a bit deep and widespread root system. Therefore, make sure to supply enough soil for pots or containers and avoid overcrowding seedlings.

This plant is reproduced by tubers or seeds. Prepare a well-drained planting mix and add it to the pot or container. For excellent drainage, make a drainage hole at the bottom of the pot or container. Loose the soil at least one-foot depth if you are planting on beds or borders. Bury the tubers with claw pointed end downward at a depth of 1-2 inches. Maintain the spaces between two tubers with less than 12 inches. You are watering properly after planting.

It will start flowering after two years of planting. After that, blooming will continue up to ten years or sometimes more than that. A cold and open environment will help with optimum blooming.

Buttercup Flower

Pests and diseases for buttercup plant

The buttercup plant is a relatively hard plant with a spread root system. So it can tolerate the various environmental conditions. However, there are some pests and diseases harmful to buttercup plants. The best way to avoid your plant from pests and diseases is to be aware of infections’ symptoms and signs. Therefore you can give fast and accurate solutions before they become worse.

Some pests harm the buttercup plant. The most common pest is the aphids, a small oval green insect feed on the buttercup plants’ sap. After invading and harming the plant, detriments can be observed by the leaves. Leaves started to wilt, and leaf discoloration can occur. Pests can eliminate by spraying mild soap and water to the infected plants.

buttercup flower

There is another fungal disease infect to this plant known as powdery mildew. This fungal disease cause tiny, rounded powdery spots with black, white or pinkish color on the older leaves. When the infection is acute, the powder can be seen even on the stems. This disease can control by eliminating affected parts of the plants from the field. However, maintaining adequate ventilation and enough lights for the plants will help to prevent infections of fungus.

Types of Buttercup Flower

The Ranunculus genus has over 600 species to note. The different name has obtained by the unique features and external appearance of the flower and plant. You will have tons of varieties to choose from, and you might want to add more than one species of buttercup flowers in your garden in the upcoming season. Here are some of the popular buttercup types.

Bulbous buttercup flower

This buttercup flower has five bright yellow petals. It can grow up to 16 inches in height and make an excellent combination for your yards or garden. This can grow anywhere.

Buttercup Flower
Bulbous buttercup flower

Accolade

This type comes with bright yellow and rose apricot color. Accolades can bloom as long as a fortnight to three. The combination of the colors is irresistible.

Amandine Rose

If you are fond of pink rose, then this one for you. It is the best fit for your spring garden. Frequently, Amandine Rose could be the center point in the garden.

Amandine Rose

Early Wood Buttercup

The early wood buttercup has kidney-shaped leaves and yellow-colored flowers. Its height can reach up to 2 feet when grown in good condition. Expect it to bloom from April to July.

Lesser Celandine

It is a low-growing plant that grows well in the moist but drained soil. It needs full sun to grow beautifully from March to May. During the summer, the plant will go dormant, so you would expect the next year until it blooms.

Lesser Celandine

Meadow buttercup flower

The plant can grow up to 3 feet in height. Regardless of the large size of the plant, the flowers are approximately one inch wide. This bloom every May to August. The meadow is top-notch because it attracts pollinating insects and bees.

Cloni Dark Orange

The noticeable feature of Cloni Dark Orange are its layers of more giant petals. The color of this Buttercup flowers can bright up your garden. However, planting them is a bit challenging because they need to grow under strict conditions.

Creeping Buttercup

The shape of the leaves of this Buttercup is like snowflakes. You will notice the beauty of gold or lime-green color from the leaf part. Meanwhile, the petals are bright yellow. When you plant it in shady areas with adequate moisture, these can bloom quickly.

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