# Kashubian Buttercups (*Ranunculus cassubicus*)

Kashubian Buttercups are bright yellow flowers that bloom in spring and summer. They love to grow in wet meadows and are a cheerful sight in nature!

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wet meadows

![Kashubian Buttercups](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ranunculus_cassubicus1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: B.gliwa, CC BY-SA 2.5 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ranunculus_cassubicus1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Kashubian Buttercup has vibrant, glossy yellow flowers with five distinct, heart-shaped petals that seem to shimmer. Its dark green leaves are deeply lobed, forming a neat basal rosette. This plant creates bright splashes of color in shaded, damp woodland areas.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Ranunculus

## Interesting facts

- Buttercups get their name because their bright yellow color looks like fresh butter!
- Its shiny petals act like tiny solar panels, warming the flower for its insect visitors!
- Legend says finding a buttercup brings good fortune and joy to your day.
- Touching its sap can sometimes cause a temporary rash on sensitive skin.

## Special abilities

- **Shine Bright:** Kashubian Buttercups have extra-shiny petals that reflect UV light, helping them act like beacons to attract pollinating insects.
- **Chemical Shield:** Kashubian Buttercups contain protoanemonin, a chemical that makes them taste bitter and mildly toxic, deterring hungry herbivores.
- **Root Resilience:** Kashubian Buttercups can regrow easily from their robust root system, allowing them to thrive and spread in their preferred habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 15-60 cm
- **Spread:** 15-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1.5-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — visits flowers for nectar and pollen
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects nectar and pollen from blooms
- **Pollinates:** Common furrow bee (*Lasioglossum calceatum*) — a solitary bee, visits for nectar

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Cluster Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/cluster-flower): Cluster flowers are inflorescences where individual flowers are arranged closely together on a common stem.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Do not eat any flowers without asking an adult, as some can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Kashubian Buttercups?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Kashubian Buttercups?

15-60 cm

### How wide does Kashubian Buttercups spread?

15-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on Kashubian Buttercups?

1.5-2.5 cm

### When does Kashubian Buttercups bloom?

Late spring to early summer

### Is Kashubian Buttercups edible?

No

### Is Kashubian Buttercups toxic?

Mild

### What is Kashubian Buttercups's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Kashubian Buttercups: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/kashubian-buttercups)