# sagebrush buttercup (*Ranunculus glaberrimus*)

The sagebrush buttercup is a bright yellow flower that loves to grow in sunny places. Its cheerful petals can make anyone smile and are often found in meadows and grasslands.

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

![sagebrush buttercup](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Ranunculus_glaberrimus_1763f.JPG&width=800)

Photo: Walter Siegmund (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ranunculus_glaberrimus_1763f.JPG)

## Appearance

The sagebrush buttercup has bright, waxy, lemon-yellow petals, usually 5 to 10 per flower, that are famously glossy. It grows on short stems from basal leaves, often appearing as one of the first splashes of color in spring.

## Taxonomy

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

## Interesting facts

- Chewing this plant releases a bitter juice, making animals spit it out quickly!
- It often blooms so early, it pushes its way through melting snow!
- Its shiny, waxy petals are like tiny mirrors, reflecting sunlight to warm the flower.
- The 'buttercup' name comes from the way its bright yellow color matches fresh butter!

## Special abilities

- **Snow-Breaker Bloom:** Sagebrush buttercup can flower extremely early, often pushing through melting snow to be one of the first spring blooms.
- **Solar Petals:** Its glossy, cup-shaped petals reflect sunlight, helping to warm the flower and attract early-season pollinators.
- **Bitter Defense:** Sagebrush buttercup has a bitter, mildly toxic sap that deters most hungry herbivores from taking a bite.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-20 cm
- **Spread:** 10-30 cm
- **Flower Size:** 1-2.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Early spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — collects nectar and pollen from early blooms
- **Pollinates:** Western Bumblebee (*Bombus occidentalis*) — one of the earliest native bee visitors
- **Pollinates:** Mining bee (*Andrena placida*) — a native bee species specialized in early spring flowers

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [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.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals.
- [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.

## Collections

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

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Don't eat any flowers you find, even if they look pretty!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify sagebrush buttercup?

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 sagebrush buttercup?

5-20 cm

### How wide does sagebrush buttercup spread?

10-30 cm

### How big are the flowers on sagebrush buttercup?

1-2.5 cm

### When does sagebrush buttercup bloom?

Early spring

### Is sagebrush buttercup edible?

No

### Is sagebrush buttercup toxic?

Mild

### What is sagebrush buttercup's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Where to spot

- [Fort George Wright](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/fort-george-wright) — Washington, US · Historic Site
- [John A. Finch Arboretum](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/john-a-finch-arboretum) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden
- [Manito Park and Botanical Gardens](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/manito-park-and-botanical-gardens) — Washington, US · Botanical Garden
- [Nine Mile Dam](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/nine-mile-dam) — Washington, US · Historic Site
- [Stemwinder Provincial Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/stemwinder-provincial-park) — British Columbia, CA · State Park

[View all places to see sagebrush buttercup](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/sagebrush-buttercup)

## 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: [Sagebrush Buttercup: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/sagebrush-buttercup)