Ficaria verna ‘Ken Aslet Double’ (Ranunculus ficaria)

Description

Ficaria verna ‘Ken Aslet Double’

Whilst the lovely double flowers are creamy white, the interior glows limey green, intensified by the violet flush to the reverse of each petal. Similar in flower to ‘Sylvie’. Leaves are a good mid green with paler flecks. Found at RHS Wisley by botanist Dr Alan Leslie and named in honour of a former head of the rock garden. Produces a mixture of sterile and fertile flowers

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.