Pennsylvania Buttercup
Ranunculus pennsylvanicus

Family: Ranunculaceae

What it is like

Ranunculus pennsylvanicus is a ANNUAL/PERENNIAL growing to 1 m (3ft 3in). It is in flower from June to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist or wet soil.

Height (m): 1

Where it is found

Wet meadows, alluvium, ditches etc. Stream banks, bogs, moist clearings, depressions in woodlands from sea level to 1700 metres.

Northern N. America - Labrador to Alaska and south to Colorado.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 1

Leaves - cooked. The leaves contain toxins but in too low a concentration to be harmful.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The plant is rubefacient. It is used to raise blisters.

Rubefacient: A counter-irritant and external stimulant, it produces inflammation and redness of the skin.

Other

Rating:

The entire plant can be boiled to yield a red dye. It is mixed with the bark of bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) which acts to fix the colour. The entire plant can be boiled with rushes (Juncus spp) or flags (Iris spp and Acorus calamus) to colour them yellow for use in making mats, baskets etc.

Dye: Plants that provide dyes.

How it is grown

We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it should succeed outdoors in most areas of the country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Prefers a moist loamy soil. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer.

Best place to grow: Bog Garden;

Habit: Annual/Perennial

Hardiness:

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist, wet

Things to keep in mind

Although no specific record of toxicity has been found for this plant, many if not all members of this genus are poisonous. These toxins can be destroyed by heat or by drying. Many if not all plants in this genus also have a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin.

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Ranunculus pensylvanicus