“Ranunculus” – Harry Potter spell or magical flower!? These magnificent blooms are almost too perfect to be real. Even though they have rose-like pattering, these babies pack more petals into their ever-giving blooms. Grown from what is called a “corm” that looks more like mini octopuses than seed, they are unique from the ground up. This crazy beautiful bloom is also an early bloomer, making it perfect for spring and early summer arrangements. We have compiled some tips to help you design your own ranunculus arrangements. 

Tips for Designing Ranunculus Arrangements

Make an all ranunculus arrangement 

Ranunculus are all so unique, coming in a large variety of colors and styles. Try making an all ranunculus arrangement by choosing different colors, sizes, and openness. Use more open and larger blooms towards the button of the vase to fill out the space. Add smaller and more closed blooms towards the top of the arrangement for an ethereal look. As the top blooms open up over a week or so, your arrangement will naturally change and shift appearance – adding to the magical quality

Let the ranunculus ‘smile’ at each other

Share the joy, and let the ranunculus smile at each other! Allow the heads of the ranunculus to face one another at different orientations (some directly forward and some a little to the side). This can allow the appearance that the flowers ‘smile’ towards each other rather than letting them flop out to the sides of the arrangement. This will be more obvious as they open up. 

Use ranunculus as your ‘floaty element’

When adding ranunculus to an arrangement, leave them taller and let them float above your design. As they float above the arrangement, they will provide a magical, ethereal effect – butterfly ranunculus are especially brilliant at this! In this situation, let your other heavier flowers like lilac, roses, etc. to ground the bottom of the arrangement closer to the vase. 

Keep ranunculus lasting-longer

Cut ranunculus are known for their long vase life. On average, cut ranunculus will last for about a week where cut carnations will only keep for 3-4 days. 

Keep it cool 

To extend the vase-life of your ranunculus, keep them in a cool part of your home. Ranunculus don’t do well with too much heat to keep them out of direct sunlight. 

Keep it fresh

Ranunculus are slow drinkers and prefer to sit in shallow water. Use clean, sharp shears to cut your stems at an angle so as not to damage them before arranging. Another tip to keep your ranunculus lasting longer is to remove all the leaves or at least the ones that would be in water before putting them in a vase. This will reduce the bacteria growth in the water. We also recommend changing your vase water frequently – every other day will keep your babies fresh!

We source our beautiful ranunculus from local Montana and Idaho floral farms. Flowers in this post sourced from Florage Farms.