Oregon · Washington · Idaho
When to plant ranunculus
Plant in the garden: Portland and Seattle Mar 15 – Apr 19; Spokane Apr 15 – May 20; Boise Apr 1 – May 6; Bend May 12 – Jun 16.
Your dates in
Ranunculus, or Persian buttercup, is a cool-season flower from the Mediterranean and Middle East grown for layered, paper-thin petals, and it lasts well over a week in a vase. Colors run from white and blush to deep red, orange and bicolors. All parts are toxic if eaten, to people and pets.
Puts ranunculus on your free plan, with dates for your town and a spot in your beds.
- Difficulty
- Tricky here
- Sun
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 6 to 9 inches apart
- Planting depth
- 2 inches deep, claws pointing down
- Frost
- Leaves handle light frost; cover below about 25°F
- Flowers
- Blooms about 90 days after planting
Layered, rose-like cut flowers from small claw-shaped corms. Soak the corms for a few hours before planting. Young plants handle light frost but not a hard freeze, so keep frost cloth handy after planting.
Ranunculu planting dates
| Towns | Plant in the garden |
|---|---|
| Portland, OR, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| Spokane, WA | Apr 15 – May 20 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Astoria, OR | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Bend and Redmond, OR | May 12 – Jun 16 |
Dates for six main cities. For any of the other 80 towns, type it in the box at the top of the page or browse all towns.
| Gresham, OR, Oregon City and West Linn, OR, Portland, OR, St. Helens and Scappoose, OR, Wilsonville and Canby, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
|---|---|
| Hillsboro and Beaverton, OR | Mar 19 – Apr 23 |
| Corvallis and Albany, OR, Eugene, OR, Salem, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
|---|---|
| Cottage Grove, OR | Mar 27 – May 1 |
| McMinnville and Newberg, OR | Mar 18 – Apr 22 |
| Ashland and Talent, OR | Apr 8 – May 13 |
|---|---|
| Grants Pass, OR, Medford, OR, Roseburg, OR | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| Astoria, OR, Brookings and Gold Beach, OR, Coos Bay and North Bend, OR, Newport and Lincoln City, OR, Tillamook, OR | Apr 1 – May 6 |
|---|
| Bend and Redmond, OR, Klamath Falls, OR | May 12 – Jun 16 |
|---|---|
| Burns, OR | May 14 – Jun 18 |
| Lakeview, OR | May 7 – Jun 11 |
| Madras, OR | Apr 21 – May 26 |
| Prineville, OR | May 4 – Jun 8 |
| Baker City, OR | Apr 27 – Jun 1 |
|---|---|
| Enterprise and Joseph, OR | Apr 26 – May 31 |
| Hermiston, OR, Hood River, OR, Ontario, OR, Pendleton, OR, The Dalles, OR | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| John Day, OR | Apr 30 – Jun 4 |
| La Grande, OR | Apr 15 – May 20 |
| Bremerton and Port Orchard, WA, Everett, WA, Kent, Renton and Auburn, WA, Seattle and Tacoma, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
|---|---|
| Olympia, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Shelton, WA | Mar 30 – May 4 |
| Anacortes, WA, Bellingham, WA, Friday Harbor and the San Juans, WA, Mount Vernon and Burlington, WA, Oak Harbor and Whidbey Island, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
|---|
| Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WA, Forks, WA, Long Beach and Ilwaco, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Port Angeles, WA, Port Townsend, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| Sequim, WA | Mar 24 – Apr 28 |
| Centralia and Chehalis, WA | Mar 25 – Apr 29 |
|---|---|
| Longview and Kelso, WA, Vancouver, WA | Mar 15 – Apr 19 |
| Chelan, WA, Wenatchee, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA, Omak and Okanogan, WA | Apr 15 – May 20 |
| Winthrop and Twisp, WA | Apr 17 – May 22 |
| Ellensburg, WA | Apr 15 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Ephrata and Quincy, WA, Moses Lake, WA, Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WA, Walla Walla, WA | Apr 1 – May 6 |
| Goldendale, WA | Apr 21 – May 26 |
| Sunnyside, Grandview and Prosser, WA | Apr 3 – May 8 |
| Yakima, WA | Apr 10 – May 15 |
| Colville, WA, Pullman, WA, Spokane, WA | Apr 15 – May 20 |
|---|
| Bonners Ferry, ID, Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls, ID, Sandpoint, ID | Apr 15 – May 20 |
|---|
| Lewiston, ID | Apr 1 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Moscow, ID | Apr 15 – May 20 |
| Boise and Meridian, ID, Nampa and Caldwell, ID | Apr 1 – May 6 |
|---|---|
| Emmett, ID | Apr 2 – May 7 |
| McCall, ID | May 25 – Jun 29 |
| Burley and Rupert, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Pocatello, ID, Rexburg, ID, Twin Falls, ID | Apr 15 – May 20 |
|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | Apr 19 – May 24 |
Ranunculu year at a glance
| Task | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant | Mar | Apr | ||||||||||
| Cut flowers | May | Jun |
Around Portland. Colder towns, especially east of the Cascades, run a few weeks later; the table above has your town's planting dates.
How to grow ranunculus
- Pick a sunny spot with soil that drains well, and mix in an inch or two of compost.
- Plant soaked ranunculus corms on your city's dates, 6 to 9 inches apart. 2 inches deep, claws pointing down.
- Soak corms in room-temperature water for three to four hours first. After planting, water once and then only when the top inch is dry until leaves appear.
- Harvest: Cut when the buds are colored and soft like a marshmallow but not yet open. They last a week or more in the vase.
Growing ranunculus in your part of the Northwest
The same plant behaves differently on the wet west side, the foggy coast and the dry, colder east side.
West-side valleys
Willamette Valley, Puget Sound, southern Oregon
Ranunculus corms rot in cold, wet soil, so plant in late winter under cover or in well-drained beds. Protect from slugs.
Coast
Oregon and Washington coast
Mild winters suit ranunculus planted in fall with some protection.
East of the Cascades
Columbia Basin, Yakima, Boise, Spokane, north Idaho
Plant in early spring; heat ends bloom by early summer.
High desert and mountain towns
Central Oregon, high eastern Oregon valleys, McCall, Salmon
Plant in spring after hard freezes pass. Cool nights help ranunculus bloom longer.
More ranunculu varieties
More widely sold picks that do well somewhere in the Northwest. The tag says which part of the Northwest suits each one best.
Tecolote mix
The widely sold Californian strain with big, many-petaled flowers in mixed colors.
Both sides
Amandine series
Strong stems and early flowers in clear colors. Popular with flower farmers who grow under cover.
West side
La Belle series
Large, ruffled flowers on long stems. Often planted in fall under a hoop house for spring cutting.
West side
How much to grow
How many to plant
For cutting, 25 to 50 corms give a steady supply for a month or more.
In the vase
Cut ranunculus last a week or more in the vase.
Key numbers
- 3–4 hoursSoak corms
- About 90Days to bloom
- About 25°FDamage below
- Corm rotBiggest risk
Top care tip: Water once after planting, then hold off until leaves appear, since soggy corms rot.
Growing notes
What makes the difference in Northwest gardens, in plain language.
Planting the corms
Ranunculus grow from small, dry, claw-shaped corms. Soak them in room-temperature water for three to four hours until they plump, then plant 2 inches deep with the claws pointing down.
Many growers pre-sprout soaked corms in a tray of damp potting mix in a cool spot for 10 to 14 days before planting. That gives a head start and lets you skip any corms that rot.
Timing and frost
Young plants handle light frost but are damaged by hard freezes below about 25°F. In most of the Northwest they go in during early spring, with frost cloth on hand for cold nights. They bloom in late spring and stop when summer heat arrives.
Experienced west-side growers also plant in fall under a hoop house or cold frame for earlier, bigger plants. Outdoors without cover, fall plantings often rot in wet, cold winters.
Drainage and harvest
The corms rot in cold, soggy soil, so plant in a raised bed or loose soil that drains well, and don't water again until leaves appear.
Cut stems when the buds are colored and feel soft like a marshmallow. They open in the vase and last a week or more. Most gardeners replant fresh corms each year.
Good neighbors
Good neighbors
- Anemones. Same planting time and raised-bed needs.
Pests and problems
What most often goes wrong with ranunculus in Northwest gardens, how to spot it and what to do.
Corm rot
Signs: Corms turn mushy and never sprout.
What to do: Raised beds with good drainage.
Frost damage
Signs: Blackened leaves after hard frosts.
What to do: Cover with frost cloth on cold nights.
Aphids
Signs: Clusters on buds.
What to do: Hose them off.
Common questions about growing ranunculus
When should I plant ranunculus in Oregon, Washington and Idaho?
Plant in the garden: Mar 15 – Apr 19 in Portland and Seattle, Apr 15 – May 20 in Spokane, Apr 1 – May 6 in Boise and May 12 – Jun 16 in Bend. Pick your town at the top of the page for your own dates.
Why did my ranunculus corms rot?
Too much water before the leaves appeared, or cold, poorly drained soil. Water once after planting, then wait, and use raised beds.
Do ranunculus come back every year?
Sometimes in mild, well-drained gardens, but they rarely bloom as well. Most growers plant fresh corms each spring.
When do ranunculus bloom?
About 90 days after planting. Spring-planted corms bloom in late spring and early summer.
See what else to plant in March or April.
Dahlias
Sunflowers
Zinnias
Sweet peas
Tulips
Daffodils
Peonies
Cosmos
Nasturtiums
Marigolds
Calendula
Snapdragons