Ficaria verna ‘Collarette’ (Ranunculus ficaria)

Description

Ficaria verna ‘Collarette’

An anemone centred celandine . Bright golden yellow with widely spaced rounded petals around a tight central boss of curved petaloid stamens. The leaves are a joy for they are variously marbled and splashed with green, black and pewter. Sterile. Probably selected at Myddleton House, the garden of EA Bowles. Propagated by P Corbis in Yelverton in the 1960’s as Beamish Double

Wonderful ephemeral magic carpets for the Spring garden, slipping into dormancy by May. The double forms set little seed, but care should be taken to avoid digging through colonies in the dormant season as division of dormant crowns is a very effective means of vegetative propagation.

The raw leaves of Lesser celandine can be quite toxic if ingested, containing the toxin protoanemonin the same toxin as found in the baneberries. As such its planting in North America is prohibited on account of the possible effects on livestock. They are little trouble in the garden, only becoming so when people take the fresh leaves as a herbal remedy. Herbalists have long prescribed them as a cure for hemorrhoids – the common name is pilewort – on account of the supposed resemblance of the roots to piles. (It’s the old doctrine of signatures again). The use of any of the plant undried is not to be recommended.

They have  along association with literature, Wordsworth having written poetry to them more than once.