Western Buttercup

Ranunculus occidentalis

Western buttercup is a perky little gem that is exceptionally versatile and attractive in a landscape setting. Its shiny, yellow, five-petaled flowers are an excellent source of early season pollen for native sweat bees, mining bees, mason bees, bumblebees and hoverflies. 

• Plant type/canopy layer: deciduous, perennial, herbaceous plant
• Size at maturity: 0-18” tall, 0-12" wide
• Light requirements: full sun to part shade
• Moisture requirements: dry to wet soil
• Bloom time: March - August (April - May in the Portland Metro area)
• Growth rate/ease: fast growing, easy to grow
• Wildlife support: flowers are a nectar source for adult butterflies, bees and other insect pollinators
• Native habitat/range: common in wet meadows, coastal bluffs, disturbed soils, and open woodlands, at low elevations, across western Washington, Oregon, and northwestern California. Portland Plant List - yes.
• Special features & uses: groundcover; landscape uses include rock gardens, pollinator gardens, meadowscapes and edges of a woodland garden

 Gardening with Western Buttercup: This cheerful perennial grows fabulously in a range of light and moisture conditions, though its ultimate preference is moist well-drained soil in partially shaded areas. Intermix many plants into your meadowscapes and pollinator gardens or to brighten up the margins of a woodland garden and other native beds. Blooms in sync with camas creating impressive swaths of purple and yellow.    

Photo Credits 1, 3, 6 (flowers, plant close-ups, meadowscape): Nikkie West, Sparrowhawk Native Plants

Photo Credit 2 (foliage): © Lindsey K. Wise, some rights reserved (CC-BY) 

Photo Credit 4 (flat for sale): Hoddick Photography

Photo Credit 5 (flowering in a habitat garden): Karli Del Biondo, Beetles and Bees

Photo Credit 4 (flowering in a habitat garden): Karli Del Biondo, Beetles and Bees