Persian buttercup is a tuberous-rooted stunner that brings opulent, poppy-like flowers to late spring and early summer gardens across zones 8-10. Its cup-shaped blooms arrive in jewel tones of red, pink, purple, yellow, and white, each crowned with distinctive purple-black anthers that catch the light. The plant grows 12-24 inches tall with delicate, parsley-like foliage, and while hybrids like the Tecolote strain produce fully double, peony-like flowers up to 4 inches across, even single varieties deliver the kind of floral drama that stops garden visitors in their tracks. Growing this Persian treasure requires attention to drainage and cool spring conditions, but the reward is a cascade of blooms that rival any cut flower you'd buy from a florist.
Full Sun
Moderate
8-10
24in H x 24in W
—
High
Hover over chart points for details
Those distinctive purple-black anthers against silky petals are a signature detail you won't find in ordinary garden flowers. The cup-shaped, poppy-like blooms reach 2 inches in diameter on species plants and swell to 4 inches on hybrid varieties like Tecolote, offering a spectacular range of color options from jewel reds to soft pastels. Finely-cut foliage creates an elegant mound that stays tidy even as flowers tower above it, and the plant performs best in cool spring weather, making it an excellent choice for gardeners who want spring fireworks before summer heat arrives.
Persian buttercup is grown primarily as an annual ornamental for spring and early summer color in flower beds and borders. The dramatic, long-lasting blooms make it popular as a cut flower, and gardeners in cooler climates often treat the tubers as annuals, planting fresh stock each spring rather than attempting winter storage.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Start tubers indoors for transplanting outdoors in mid to late April in cooler climates, allowing several weeks of indoor growth before outdoor planting after the last frost date has passed.
Transplant outdoors in mid to late April in areas with late spring frosts, ensuring soil has warmed and frost danger has passed. Space plants 6-8 inches apart in full sun with well-drained soil.
Enter your ZIP code to see a personalized growing calendar for this plant.