Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Bulbous Buttercup bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Bulbous Buttercup, Bulbous Crowfoot, St Anthony's Turnip (Ranunculus bulbosus).

More about bulbous buttercup

About Bulbous Buttercup

Ranunculus bulbosus · also called Bulbous Buttercup, Bulbous Crowfoot · flowering

Ranunculus bulbosus is a compact, early-flowering perennial native to dry, calcareous grassland across Europe and parts of western Asia, distinguished from other buttercups by its swollen, corm-like stem base (the 'bulb') and reflexed sepals beneath the glossy yellow flowers. It flowers earlier than the meadow buttercup (typically April to June) and then dies back in summer, making it the ideal buttercup for drier, well-drained soils where the other species would struggle. The bulbous base stores energy through the summer drought, and the plant re-emerges from autumn onwards. All parts are toxic to cats, dogs, and horses.

Plant type: flowering

The reasons bulbous buttercup isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming bulbous buttercup traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding bulbous buttercup a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get bulbous buttercup to flower

Maximise sun. Give bulbous buttercup the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for bulbous buttercup and get the feeding right with the bulbous buttercup fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Bulbous Buttercup flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full bulbous buttercup care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Bulbous Buttercup blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my bulbous buttercup flower?

Bulbous Buttercup blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make bulbous buttercup bloom?

Give bulbous buttercup the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does bulbous buttercup normally bloom?