Ficaria verna

Tuberous perennial of the Ranunculaceae family, the Spring Buttercup is widely spread in Europe and Western Asia, from the Iberian Peninsula to Central Asia, also present in North Africa.

It colonizes cool and shaded woodlands, stream banks, damp meadows, hedges, and gardens, on humus-rich soils, cool to moist, generally in plains and low mountains.

It forms small, low, dense mats, 5 to 15 cm in height, composed of heart-shaped, shiny, dark green glossy leaves, borne on long petioles. The flowers, solitary, are bright yellow to golden yellow, with numerous narrow and glossy petals, characteristic of the genus.

In its natural habitat, its flowering extends from February to April, making it one of the first plants to bloom after winter. In cultivation, it can bloom from late January depending on the region. The plant disappears completely in summer, entering a long period of summer dormancy.

Many horticultural cultivars have been selected, with double, cream, bronze, or pure white flowers, and sometimes variegated or purple leaves. In cultivation, it prefers a cool, rich, and well-humus soil, in partial shade or under light cover. Its small root tubers allow it to multiply and naturalize quickly.