My Type

What is your type? Tall, dark and handsome, or sophisticated and suave, perhaps a weakness for blondes? We all have a type; it is the form and color we are repeatedly drawn to without thinking.

My type is short, blonde, straightforward, tidy and reliably early. I speak not of a mate, but of my type, in plants. This is exemplified in one of my favorite plants Ranunculus ficaria, also known as Lesser Celandine.

Its heart-shaped leaves emerge early, often appearing in January or February. This is followed by a steady show of buttercup-like flowers from creamy white to deep golden yellow. Flowering usually tapers by April or May and the handsome foliage remains until frost. During exceptionally hot, dry summers or if exposed to sun, this ephemeral perennial will go dormant, disappearing completely.

It is a tidy plant, forming gently spreading clumps that reach about 6 inches tall. It prefers shade and moist, free-draining soil. Its compact size and tidy habit it makes it a perfect selection for a groundcover in shady areas or for in-between pavers on the path less traveled.

Lesser Celandine has clear, golden flowers over rich green foliage; however there are several tempting varieties:

Albus – Lustrous green foliage with creamy white flowers that have a curious purple-blue tinge to the outside of the petals.

Brambling – Handsome foliage has extraordinary mottling in bronze, silver and green with golden flowers.

Brazen Hussy – Luxurious bronze foliage provides exceptional contrast for simple, golden flowers.

Double Mudd – Similar to Albus but with full double-petal blooms that display the outer purple blush.

Flore Pleno – Full, double-petal flowers of classic golden yellow.

I will always be drawn to early, handsome, straightforward blondes; they have stolen my heart. Find your type at your Local Independent Garden Center.