Content
- Buttercup is characterized by some peculiarities
- Buttercup copes well with damp locations
- The leaves gave the name to the buttercup
- That's why Hahnenfuß is poisonous
- Ranunculus differ from cinquefoil
- Tips
The buttercup has a surprisingly enduring flowering season
Buttercup is characterized by some peculiarities
Buttercup or Buttercup is one of the ornamental plants that are less appreciated in the garden than on meadows and riverside. It differs by some peculiarities of other plants that are found on flower meadows.
Buttercup copes well with damp locations
Buttercup likes a sour and moist soil. The roots are very robust and can cope even with short periods of waterlogging. This is why the buttercup is so common in wet meadows along rivers and at pond edges.
The most common species is the hot ranunculus, which grows almost everywhere where the soil is acidic enough.
The leaves gave the name to the buttercup
The name Hahnenfuß owes the plant its foliage leaves:
They are two- or three-lobed depending on the species and are a bit like the foot of a cock. The leaves may appear split or pinnate.
In some regions, especially in northern Germany, Hahnenfuß is known as buttercup. This is probably due to the shiny, yellow flowers of the buttercup.
That's why Hahnenfuß is poisonous
Buttercup contains protoanemonin in all plant parts. Particularly high is the concentration in flowers and roots. The individual species are different toxic, some contain hardly any toxins.
Buttercup should not be picked with bare hands or fought in the garden, because even contact with the sap can trigger inflammatory reactions on the skin. Fresh buttercups may not be consumed. In the dried state, the poison breaks down.
Ranunculus differ from cinquefoil
In nature, buttercup is often confused with cinquefoil, which flowers at the same time and also produces yellow flowers.
The difference, however, can be fixed to the flowers. Although both plant species usually have five petals, they differed from each other. The nectar leaves of the buttercup shine strongly and are also surrounded by five bracts. Cinquefoil blossoms appear rather dull.
Tips
The family of the buttercup family includes a whole series of plants that look very different at first glance. These include, for example, Marsh Marigold, Pasque Flower and Ranunculus. The climber Klematis also belongs to the genus Hahnenfuß.