Is Butterfly Ranunculus a Focal or Filler Flower? I Dive Deep into Ranunculus at My Shop.
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- In this video I go deep into butterfly ranunculus. Is it a focal flower like its big sister? Standard ranunculus is definitely one of my features of early spring. The dozens upon dozens of fluffy petals per bloom make it a big seller. Butterfly commands a high price, but I don't really ever use it as a hero in my designs. That doesn't mean butterfly isn't worthy of a best supporting nomination.
Butterfly ranunculus has light and delicate petals like the wings of the insect it's named after. Unlike the densely packed petals of regular ranunculus, butterfly has a single layer bloom. The petals look shimmery and iridescent as a result of a natural wax coating. The stems are tall and pliable with branchy side shoots. They are usually harvested with just one bud open and the side buds closed but colored up. Those buds open over time which is a huge bonus.
Another bonus is that butterfly ranunculus has an extremely long vase life - two to three weeks. The challenge I have is that they work more like a filler flower. Their perceived value is lower than regular ranunculus, but they are priced like a high-end focal flower. They're beautiful but their contribution sometimes feels underwhelming in a small mixed arrangement. They shine in bigger arrangements or in a vase by themselves.
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The best explanation I’ve heard describing how butterfly ranunculus is different. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful! They really are so so different!
Fellow Baltimorean here and I found you via the Creative Mornings recording of the talk you gave. Love this video!
Amazing! Come by and see us sometime! Our shop is open on Saturdays 8-noon! Also! i see you're a book lover! we have a great bookclub (in person and online) if you're interested in check it out! www.locoflo.com/about/blog.php?ID=85
Thanks, Ellen! I really enjoyed this deep dive into the different types of ranunculus! I just started to work at a flower shop a few months ago, and your videos are really helping me expand my knowledge of the floral industry.
Glad it was helpful! Does the flower shop use butterfly ranunculus at all? It's not always easy to get.
@@ellenfrostflowers No, I do not believe we source that flower, BUT you inspired me to personally seek out a local flower farmer in my area! I plan to purchase a weekly subscription from her for my personal use. She is harvesting anemone this week. I think I will see more unusual varieties if I buy local from her. Really enjoyed your podcasts with Scott Shepherd that you recorded a while back. Now that spring is here, I will be shopping for flowers locally!
I’ve been very interested in the butterfly ranunculus. Thank you for sharing!
I'm so glad this was helpful. It is a special flower if you can get your hands on it locally.
@@ellenfrostflowersI’m hoping to grow it, if I get a tunnel this fall.
Great video. As a grower, I grew these last year. I also noticed this year that all the buds opened over time. Very similar to the cosmos in that way and the airy-ness. The stems are so long and strong too. I realized it would be great for florist. However, the cost of the corms are 3x that of standard ranunculus. I ended up selling my blooms to my florist last year for the same price of standard renunculus because my florist had never seen them before. I didn't grow any this year because they were not profitable for me. I ended up leaving 2 comes in the ground and they popped up this year. I used these stems just at my house and I understood the true value of them. I'm undecided if I'll make the investment this year. Now that I learned the true value of them I can justify the price and value when selling them. I'm just not sure that the market is there for them in my urban area here in my small town in the central valley of California. It's also extremely hot here and I would need to put a shade structure over them to continue to get more blooms. And that labor raises the cost of them even more.
The question I ask myself is, do I fight to have their beauty and value recognized by spending the money and energy to grow them again? As a third-year flower farmer, this is the first time I've struggled with something like this.
This is such a valuable insight. Because farmers and florists are very visual people, it's hard to edit what we grow and buy because we want it all! It's great that you are looking at profitability for your crops. It might be that butterfly ranunculus has to be cut out of growing for sales. While it's a great crop, if florists aren't willing to pay what you need them to pay, it might not make sense to continue. You can try educating them on the value you are providing (all the blooms open, long lasting etc) but if it doesn't work, it's ok to move on without them as part of your crop plan. Or only grow a few? Or only grow a plant or two for yourself!
so knowledgeable! thank you!
thanks so much! If you have any questions, please let me know!