In the cottage garden, wild perennial bed and pot, the bright yellow buttercup shines in competition with the sun. As a swarming pasture of bees and butterflies, the distinctive flower rounds off the planting plan for the natural garden. Find out here how you can professionally cultivate natural beauty and properly adjust to its toxic traits.
How to care for buttercups in the garden?
The buttercup is a bright yellow perennial that blooms from May to July and is ideal as a pasture for bees and butterflies in natural gardens. It prefers full sun to shady locations and fresh, moist, humus-rich soils. However, the plant is poisonous in all parts, which is why protective gloves are recommended when cultivating it.
Planting buttercup correctly
In spring or autumn it is time to plant buttercups. First, place the still potted root ball in water until no more air bubbles appear. Meanwhile, the fresh, moist, humus-rich soil is being weeded and raked in the sunny location. Dig small pits at a distance of 40-50 cm to enrich the soil with compost (€12.00 on Amazon) and horn shavings. Now pot up the soaked young plant and plant the flower just below the lower pair of leaves. Press the substrate with your hands and water. Finally, mulch with leaves, grass clippings or bark mulch so that the soil stays warm and moist for longer. During the planting process, please remember that all parts of the wild perennial are poisonous and wear protective gloves.
Care tips
You can let the wild buttercup grow in the garden without any horticultural intervention. In order to strengthen the floral back of the distinctive perennial, we still recommend the following short care program:
- Keep the soil and potting substrate slightly moist at all times
- Administer starter fertilization in the bed in March/April with compost (€12.00 on Amazon) and horn shavings
- Pamper potted flowers with liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks from April to August
- Clean out wilted flower stems down to the basal foliage
- Pruning close to the ground in autumn when all the leaves have fallen in
In the open field, the buttercup gets through the cold season he althy without any precautions. Pots, however, should be covered with foil and placed on wood. The substrate is protected from the rigors of winter with leaves or peat moss.
Which location is suitable?
In full sun to shaded locations, the buttercup provides a bright yellow display throughout the summer. She particularly likes warm places protected from the wind. In fresh to moist soil, humus, loose and well-drained, you will experience a natural perennial at its best.
The correct planting distance
A single buttercup seems lost and lonely. In small tuffs or in association with other wild perennials, the flower develops its true potential. To ensure that the picturesque appearance is perfect, the most important thing is the adequate planting distance. If you plant the perennial at a distance of 40-50 cm, you are exactly right. For widespread planting, we recommend 4-6 specimens per square meter.
What soil does the plant need?
The buttercup favors any normal garden soil, fresh to moist and humus-loose. As long as the delicate golden head doesn't have to deal with sandy, dry or waterlogged soil, it transforms the bed into a yellow sea of flowers. For pot cultivation, we recommend a good quality compost-based potting soil with a low peat content. Add some lava granules, sand or expanded clay for first-class permeability.
When is flowering time?
The buttercup delights us with its lacquered, bright yellow cup flowers from May to July. If you regularly clean out the withered flower stems down to the first leaf, the flower festival will last until August. Under no circumstances should you dispose of the clippings on pastures or horse paddocks, as the fresh plant parts are highly toxic. Only when dried as part of hay do they no longer pose any danger.
Cut buttercup correctly
There are 3 occasions when we use scissors to cut the buttercup. When it has just bloomed and is cut to 3 finger-widths above the ground, the flower is ideal for drying. If you consistently cut out withered flower stalks down to the stalked basal leaves, fresh shoots will find their way to the light of the sun. If the weather cooperates, this simple trick will extend the flowering period until late summer. If the perennial has withdrawn its above-ground parts in the fall, cut the buttercup down to the ground. Only dispose of the clippings in the compost if cows, horses, rabbits, dogs or cats do not have access to the toxic green waste.
Watering buttercup
Water a buttercup regularly whenever the soil has dried out. If the delicate flower is under drought stress, it will sadly bend the cupped flowers to the ground. Although the perennial likes slightly moist soil, it should not become waterlogged. Daily watering may be required in the pot on warm summer days.
Fertilize buttercup properly
In humus garden soil, the nutrient supply is limited to initial fertilization in March/April with compost (€12.00 at Amazon) and horn shavings. The nutrient reserves of pre-fertilized soil in the pot are used up after 4-6 weeks. Fertilize the buttercup every 2-3 weeks with a liquid preparation until the end of the flowering period.
Wintering
The native perennial retracts its above-ground parts of the plant in autumn. The underground rhizome survives bitter frost down to -28.8 degrees Celsius undamaged. There is therefore no need to take any special precautions for overwintering in the bed. If the buttercup thrives in a pot or balcony box, the thin walls don't really keep out the frost. Therefore, wrap planters in bubble wrap and place them on wood. A layer of autumn leaves, straw or peat on the substrate protects the root ball from above. Water the plant every now and then to prevent the soil from drying out completely.
Propagate buttercup
An unbeatably simple method of propagating buttercups is by dividing the root ball. How to do it right:
- In spring or autumn, lift the perennial out of the ground with a digging fork or spade
- Shake or rinse off all soil from the rhizome
- Place the root ball on a firm surface to cut it (don't forget gloves)
- Each segment with 2 eyes and more has the floral power to transform into an adult buttercup
In a sunny location, plant the sections 40-50 cm apart, exactly as deep as they were previously in the ground. A layer of mulch and regular watering support rapid rooting.
How do I transplant correctly?
A buttercup grows like a clump from a network of roots that does not form any runners. So there is nothing wrong with a change of location. Choose a time in spring or fall to dig up the root ball. On this occasion, older perennials can be excellently rejuvenated and propagated by division. Plant the perennial in the new location in fresh, moist, compost-enriched soil and water generously. A mulch layer of leaves, grass clippings or bark mulch promotes growth. Since the roots have the highest poison content, this work requires special care.
Buttercup in a pot
In pot culture, the buttercup thrives vitally and luxuriantly if you use a structurally stable compost-based potting soil. If you place a curved piece of pottery over the water drain, excess irrigation water cannot accumulate here. A watering edge of 2 cm prevents flooding on the balcony. The care program at a glance:
- Water buttercups regularly as soon as the substrate has dried
- Pour out the coaster after a few minutes to avoid waterlogging
- Fertilize liquidly every 2-3 weeks from April until the end of the flowering period
- Clean out wilted flower stems down to the basal foliage
- Repot into fresh substrate in March
If the plant has drawn in all its leaves in autumn, cut the perennial plant close to the ground. Before the first frost, wrap the pot in bubble wrap and place it on a wooden block. The substrate receives a protective layer of leaves or straw. Water the root ball every now and then so that it doesn't dry out completely.
Is buttercup poisonous?
The buttercup should be enjoyed with caution regarding its ingredients. All parts of the buttercup plant are so poisonous that in the past there have been deaths after eating flowers, leaves and roots. Point out the danger to your children, because the distinctive flowers in meadows entice them to make a wreath or bouquet of flowers. Even skin contact with fresh plant sap causes severe itching, swelling with blistering and necrosis. We therefore recommend wearing gloves during all planting and care work. When dried, the toxins have evaporated.read more
Are buttercups and dandelions the same?
They both boast bright yellow flowers and bloom at the same time for many weeks in the summer. It's no wonder that yellow buttercups and dandelions are simultaneously called buttercups. While yellow buttercups are welcome in the garden as a natural perennial, dandelions are fought vehemently as weeds. The striking distinguishing feature is the flower shape. Yellow buttercups stand out with yellow, lacquered cup flowers. Dandelions, on the other hand, have 3-5 cm wide basket flowers with numerous yellow ray florets. In late summer, these transform into spherical, airy seed heads, which is why dandelions are also known as dandelions. Furthermore, both plants differ in terms of their height. Yellow buttercups stretch 50-70 cm towards the sky, while dandelions grow 10-20 cm tall. An elementary distinguishing feature is not visible. Yellow buttercup is highly toxic in all parts when fresh. Dandelions, on the other hand, can be eaten safely.read more
Trivia
Popularly, the buttercup is called, among other things, beggar's buttercup. In ancient times, beggars rubbed the toxic plant sap on visible areas of their skin in order to arouse pity through the rashes and wounds and to collect more alms.
Beautiful varieties
The buttercup is one of the few perennials whose natural charm can hardly be enhanced by the hand of the breeder. As a result, in addition to the wild species, only the following two hybrids can be discovered in the garden center:
- Multiplex: The historic variety impresses with bulging gold buttons from May to July; Growth height 50-70 cm
- Citrinus: A creamy white to light yellow flowering buttercup, richly branching and robust; Growth height 40-60 cm
