28 March, 2007 | Leave a Comment
A few weeks ago I posted a photo of a luscious pink bouquet and asked if anyone could identify the flowers. Well, you all were right — they’re ranunculus! (A name so obscure that spell check doesn’t recognize it.) One of my friends who commented wrote that she’d bet her life on it. That’s pretty darn certain. I’m embarrassed to admit I’d never heard of ranunculus and don’t ever remember seeing them until I came to Paris. But they are everywhere here, in all the flowers shops. And I am totally smitten! So I have a new favorite flower.
Changing your favorite flower is a big decision and it should not be made lightly. Tulips have traditionally been my favorite — I come from a long line of tulip lovers. Last year in London I flirted with peonies, so seduced was I by seeing them bobbing their little heads at all the flower stalls. And peonies smell wonderful too. But I never made the official change. And thank goodness I waited! Ranunculus have won my heart. The only thing I don’t like about them is that they have an ugly name and they don’t smell nice. But I can learn to live with that.
My sister and her friend are in Paris this week (more on that tomorrow). When I met them for dinner tonight, my sister surprised me with a bouquet of ranunculus! My first bouquet! And they’re pink, of course, because everything is better in pink. I’m not sure how she knew they were my favorite. Could be that I talk about them all the time and take photos whenever I see them? Probably. Her friend that she’s traveling with was one of the original ranunculi-commenters from my earlier post. So my sister is surrounded by not one but two ranunculi obsessives. It’s like a cult.
My flowers:
Anglofille said @ 11:52 pm | personal |
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Rebecca Says:
March 29th, 2007 at 3:28 amI haven’t heard of those either! What is that green bit that grows from the middle? Are those immature petals before they change to the color of the flower or are they more like leaves? Some of them in the first picture even appear to be fully green only. What a unique flower!
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Excellent choice.
As a frustrated gardener (I always knew the more diminutive, creeping version of ranunculus) I started looking into it, and WOW - ranunculaceae is such a wide family, which includes variations such as anemones, delphinum, columbine, hellebore, clematis and buttercups!
Okay, I admit it, I am a geek
Also of interest:
Mythology: In fairy tales frogs are apt to change into princes and it was an Asian prince in just such a story who gave his name to this flower, which grows naturally in swampy ground. The prince was so good-looking that he was loved by everyone. He also had a beautiful voice but this was his undoing. He loved the open country and sang delightful songs in the presence of nymphs. He did not have the courage to declare his love to them and this haunted him so much that he died. After his death he was changed into the flower with delicate tissuey petals which bears his name.
Language of Flowers: Meant “you are rich in attractions” to the Victorians.Okay I’ll stop now!! ;D
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Rebecca: I’m glad I’m not the only one who’d never heard of them! I’ve learned that there are *many* varieties of ranunculus, so some of them have a lot of green at the center, but most have just a little or none at all. As far as I can tell, it doesn’t change color but just stays green.
Jen: Thanks for this info. I love it! It’s interesting that the story mentions the tissuey petals — that’s one of the things I love about these flowers, that the petals look like paper.
As for there being so many varieties, I think that’s what makes these tough to identify. Even at the flower shops, they offer many bouquets of ranunculus that look drastically different. Some look like poppies, some like roses, others like peonies.
The real question is, will I be able to find these in London. Because I think they are a spring flower and may be gone soon. I want to buy a bouquet to dry, but I won’t be able to bring a bouquet from Paris because I have too much luggage!
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beangreen Says:
March 29th, 2007 at 6:43 pmHey, girl. Yes, you can find these everywhere. I love them too. I’ll actually have some in my bridal bouquet. They’re a spring flower that’s grown from bulbs, and they’re fairly easy to grow. Though these ones don’t dry well, they work fairly okay as pressed petals.
BTW, the green ones are roses. Notice the sepals are different. : )
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I thought they were roses too, but the sign at the florist said ranunculus?! WAH! These flowers are so elusive…
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beangreen Says:
March 30th, 2007 at 7:38 amI say that damn French florist is mistaken, and I demand you march over there and tell them so! : )
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Searching for stuff on Ranunculus, I found your post. I just posted on Ranunculus–we have acres and acres of your new favorite flower near where I live: http://www.gailanderson.org/2007/04/flower-fields-in-carlsbad.html
