Growing Anemones & Ranunculus

​Anemones and ranunculus are some of the first flowers that bloom on our farm each year during late winter/early spring. They are always such a lovely reminder that the grey days of winter are coming to an end and spring is on its way. While they aren't the easiest (or cheapest) cut flowers to grow, I couldn't imagine a season without them. If you've never tried growing them, give them a try!

What to Love About Anemones

Anemones are popular flowers that come in many colors and have a variety of uses. They are easy to grow, low maintenance, and can be used in gardens, containers, or as cut flowers. ​

What to Love About Ranunculus

​People love ranunculus because they have elegant-looking blooms in a wide variety of vibrant, bright colors. Ranunculus always add a romantic feel to any floral arrangement, making them popular for bouquets and weddings. These beauties also have a good vase life and last for quite some time.

Why Grow?

Anemones and ranunculus are popular to grow because they produce abundant blooms early in the spring, have a long vase life as cut flowers and are relatively easy to care for. Both plants thrive in similar cool conditions and can be grown together pretty easily.

• Beautiful Blooms: Both anemones and ranunculus are known for their eye-catching, colorful flowers. They offer a wide range of hues from soft pastels to bold, bright shades.
• Long Vase Life: As cut flowers, anemones and ranunculus both have fairly long vase lives. Their blooms can last up to two weeks with proper care, making them an excellent choice for floral arrangements.
• Ease of Care: These flowers are relatively easy to grow and require minimal maintenance once established. ​

Know Where You Go

Anemones and ranunculus are cold-hardy plants suitable for growing in zones 7 and higher. If you live in these zones, it is generally safe to plant them in the fall. In the Piedmont region of North Carolina (zone 8a), our winters are typically mild. I prefer to grow these plants in an unheated hoop house and cover them with frost cloth on nights when temperatures drop below freezing. If you live in zones lower than 7, it's best to wait and plant them in late winter or early spring.

Soaking & Pre-Sprouting

If you've never seen an anemone or ranunculus corm, you may be a bit surprised by their appearance. Anemones look like small acorns, while ranunculus look like miniature octopuses! ​

Ranunculus Corm

Anemone Corm

Before you get these corms in the ground, you want to soak them for 2-4 hours in room-temperature water. You will know that they are ready after this amount of time because they will have plumped up and doubled in size. I use a seed starting tray and cover them with just enough water to make sure they are fully immersed. But, any container will work. ​​

​After soaking, you can choose to pre-sprout your corms or not. Pre-sprouted corms will give you flowers weeks before corms that are not pre-sprouted. So, it really is your choice. To pre-sprout them, fill up a seed tray halfway with moist potting soil. Place your corms on top of the soil and cover lightly with more soil. Place your trays in a cool spot (40-50 degrees) for 2 weeks. Make sure to check on them every few days to make sure they are still moist. If needed, you can water them lightly. When tiny, white roots begin to appear you will know they are ready to plant!

Planting

Anemone and ranunculus corms should be planted with the "pointed acorn end" or the "octopus tentacle" down at about 1-3 inches deep and 6 inches apart. I generally water my soil lightly after planting. If planting in the fall, I only water when the soil looks really dry. Both of these flowers are prone to root rot and fungal diseases, so good drainage and airflow are a must. Anemones and ranunculus usually bloom around 90 days. Fall-planted corms will bloom at a little slower rate compared to spring-planted corms.

Harvesting

• Anemones can be tricky when it comes to timing the harvest. If picked too early, the flowers may become limp and flop over or they may just fail to open. Some say that the best time to harvest is when they have opened and closed on the plant at least once. I don't know about you, but I find this very hard to know. Since I am not in my hoop house constantly watching and waiting for each flower to open, this isn't a realistic method for me. Instead, I measure the flower's "collar". The "collar" is the space between the bloom and its first ring of leaves. Once this area is at least 1/4 inch long, I know it is ready to be cut.
• Ranunculus should be harvested when the buds are in the "marshmallow" stage, which is when they are squishy and colored but not fully open. This is usually when the petals are just starting to unfurl. If the bud is hard in the center, wait a couple of days before harvesting.

​I'd love to hear about your experiences with growing anemones and ranunculus in your area of the world! Leave your comments below!

Happy Planting!
XOXO