Ranunculus are one of the most beloved flowers for florists and gardeners alike Their ruffled, rose-like blooms add incredible texture and charm to any bouquet or arrangement Though ranunculus come in a stunning range of colors, not all varieties are created equal when it comes to cutting and arranging.
Through trial and error on my small urban flower farm, I’ve discovered that some ranunculus varieties truly outperform others as cut flowers. If you want to grow ranunculus that will give you an abundant harvest of long-lasting beauties for your designs, here are the top varieties to try.
La Belle Series
The La Belle series from Gloeckner is hands-down my favorite for cut flower ranunculus. After testing them alongside other common varieties like the Amandines, the La Belle blooms last longer in the vase and have the most lush, full form with neatly ruffled petals.
Some standout La Belle varieties include
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La Belle Gold – Buttery yellow blooms that make spring bouquets pop. The color is vibrant without being too lemon or mustard.
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La Belle Champagne – Lovely bicolor blooms in shades of pink, salmon and apricot. The subtle color variations add depth and interest.
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La Belle Dark Orange – A true orange that provides the perfect pop of color,
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La Belle White – Big, clean white blooms that last and last.
Amandine Mixes
Though they don’t have quite the same vase life as the La Belles, the Amandine series offers fun options like mixes and picotees. Some to try:
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Amandine Pastel Mix – A blend of soft picotees in shades like lilac, yellow, white and pink.
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Amandine Marshmallow – The closest I’ve found to a true blush ranunculus. Soft, blowing blooms.
Italian Ranunculus
If you need ranunculus that can withstand cold snaps and keep blooming through heat waves, go for Italian varieties. In my experience, they tolerate temperature swings better than other types. The plentiful harvests and long vase life make them worth the higher cost per corm.
Butterfly Ranunculus
Butterfly ranunculus produce magical, slender-petaled blooms on long, flexible stems. Though they require more pampering than other ranunculus, their airy elegance is unmatched. Try:
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Butterfly Pink – Soft, ballet slipper pink flowers
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Butterfly White – Crisp and pristine
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Butterfly Picotee – Blooms kiss with white along the ruffled edges
Growing Ranunculus for Cutting
To get the most stems from your ranunculus patch for cutting, keep these tips in mind:
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Plant in early spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Ranunculus are impatient to grow once the weather warms.
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Give them full sun and well-drained, fertile soil. Raised beds enriched with compost work beautifully.
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Space plants 4-6 inches apart to allow adequate airflow and light penetration.
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Water regularly, especially once buds appear. Drought stress causes misshapen blooms.
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Cut stems in the morning while still upright and turgid.
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Immediately place in cool water and move into refrigeration. Properly cared for, ranunculus stems can last 7-10 days in the vase.
Designing With Ranunculus
The legally-blonde ruffles and colors of ranunculus allow for eye-catching bouquets and arrangements perfect for spring and summer. Some ideas:
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Pair ranunculus with sweet peas, larkspur, lilac and other blooms of late spring. The textures complement each other beautifully.
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Create a monochromatic bouquet by using a single ranunculus color like white, purple or pink as a base and adding filler blooms in shades of the same hue.
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For a whimsical feel, mix ranunculus varieties and colors in a hand-tied bouquet. Butterfly ranunculus add movement and grace.
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Float 3-5 ranunculus stems in a glass bowl or low cylinder vase for an effortless yet dramatic centerpiece.
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Weave ranunculus into floral crowns and garlands along with foliage and other delicate flowers.
Some Battles with Ranunculus
Ranunculus are highly susceptible to fungi, which can cause corm rot. This is one of the reasons the pre-sprouting process before planting out is helpful. Botrytis, blight, and pythium are just a few of the possible foes of the ranunculus.
Preventative spraying or soaking during the wake-up process of fungicides can also help avoid devastating loss of corms. In our growing experience, we’ve also learned that ranunculus is very sensitive to soil salt buildups, which can make the stems fall over.
Watch the video here to learn more about our salty mistake and what we learned from it. Salts can build up even with regular feeding, primarily through drips rather than foliar. One time a month, we flush the soil with yucca, which helps the ranunculus deal with some of these issues.
Bugs love ranunculus, especially aphids and thrips. Consider this when crop rotation and implementing your integrated pest management systems. In the beginning of the season, we spray Pyganic on the ranunculus a few times before the good bugs come out and do the work for us.
Harvesting and Post-Harvesting Care of Ranunculus Flowers
Now that you’ve covered and uncovered these plant babies a billion times and cared for them, the first bloom has finally come!
Ranunculus do best when harvested early in the morning when they are the most hydrated.
How I Grow Ranunculus (+ Schedule of Planting Dates)! // Garden Answer
FAQ
Do ranunculus make good cut flowers?
What is the most popular ranunculus?
How do you keep ranunculus alive in a vase?
What is the difference between a butterfly ranunculus and a regular ranunculus?
How long do Ranunculus flowers last?
Ranunculus have an outstanding vase life, often exceeding 10 days. Cut when buds are colored and squishy like a marshmallow, but not yet fully open, for a vase life of 10 to 12 days. If the blooms are open when cut, they’ll still last a week but will be more fragile to transport. Be sure to cut spent flowers down to the base to promote new blooms.
Are Ranunculus a cut flower?
Often referred to as the rose of spring, ranunculus are one of the most popular cut flowers that we grow here at Floret. These tender flowers need extra protection from cold temperatures, but if carefully tended, they will produce an abundance of lush, sweetly scented blooms during the early months of spring.
Are Ranunculus easy to grow?
Ranunculus are easy to grow if planted correctly. The specifics of some species may vary, but broadly, here are the main care requirements for growing most ranunculus flowers: Choose a sunny spot, ideally that gets six hours of sunlight or more each day. Prepare well-draining, nutrient-rich soil. Keep the soil moist but not wet.
Is Ranunculus a good alternative to a real Rose?
“The ranunculus is the perfect alternative to a real rose. I often use ranunculus in spring floristry and am surprised at how frequently I’m asked which rose they are,” says flower artisan Georgie Newberry, author of Grow Your Own Wedding Flowers. Pure white ranunculus (such as white Tecolote) is especially popular in spring bridal bouquets.