Ranunculus repens
| Ranunculus repens | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 1' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Blooms: | Late Spring-Late Summer |
| Meadows Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Ranunculus repens (common name: creeping buttercup)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. A very common weed, it doesn't really need any help from us.
Division in spring. Very easy, though probably totally unnecessary, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions.
Cultivation: Prefers a moist loamy soil on the heavy side.
A rampantly spreading weed of grassland, few gardeners would want to introduce it to their land[K].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[1].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway south and east to Spain, through Asia to China and Japan.
Habitat: Wet meadows, pastures, woods, dune slacks etc[2]. A common and rampant weed, avoiding acid soils[2].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked and used as a pot-herb[3][4]. A famine food, used when all else fails, and I would rather give it a miss even then[K]! See the notes above on toxicity.
Root - must be dried beforehand and thoroughly cooked[5]. Personally, I would rather give this one a miss[K], see the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: The entire plant is analgesic and rubefacient[6]. A poultice of the chewed leaves has been used in the treatment of sores, muscular aches and rheumatic pains[6]. Some caution is advised in the use of this plant, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Bees, flies, beetles
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Known Hazards: All parts of the plant are poisonous[2], the toxins being destroyed by heat or by drying[7]. The plant also has a strongly acrid juice that can cause blistering to the skin[7][8].
Links
References
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Gunther, Erna. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press, 1981.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Moerman, Daniel. Native American Ethnobotany. Timber Press, 1998.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Frohne, Dietrich and Hans Pfänder. J. A Colour Atlas of Poisonous Plants. Timber Press, 1984.
- ↑ Facciola, Stephen. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications, 1990.