Is This Buttercup?

[BikerDoc5968]

I have, what I consider, a wildflower, since I don't recall planting it.... but then at my age there's alot I don't remember!!!! Anyway, is this Buttercup or ??????

[camille1585]

Since I don't know if there are several plants with the common name buttercup, if you mean Ranunculus buttercups, then no, your plant is not a buttercup.It looks like some kind of Oenothera, maybe Oenothera tetragona. I'm fairly certain about the genus, but not the exact species.

[Royal]

Camille, you're sharp! I was thinking the exact same thing. We don't have yellow Oenothera here, just the pink/white but the flowers are almost identical except for color. Definitely not Ranunculus, most certainly Oenotherea (in the potato family )

[BikerDoc5968]

I knew not Ranunculus because it isn't hardy inthis area of Michigan... I'll check-out Oenothera...thanks Camille and yes your education serves you very well... you are VERY SHARP!

[camille1585]

Not hardy? How cold does it get in michigan?? I know that the common buttercups here (Ranunculus acris and Ranunculus repens) can easily tolerate zone 4 temps, down to -35°C (-31°F). We often have -20°C in the winter, and those plants are always some of the first to appear once it warms up. R repens is a nightmare to remove. It's all over my veggie garden, and it keeps on putting out runners, very deeply rooted runners. I pull up everything every spring, but I always miss a few pieces and they're back with a vengeance the next year. R acris is much better, it doesn't spread. There's a bunch growing wild in a wet spot of the yard.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by RoyalOrchids

Camille, you're sharp! I was thinking the exact same thing. We don't have yellow Oenothera here, just the pink/white but the flowers are almost identical except for color. Definitely not Ranunculus, most certainly Oenotherea (in the potato family )

Not potato family! Potatoes are in the Solanaceae,(the nightshade family with tomatoes and eggplant) and Oenothera are in the Onagraceae (Fuchsia is also in this family).

I'm actually surprised that I remembered the name, since my botany courses were 3 years ago. Just some of the little details I had to learn by heart. We learned 500 plants, names and culture, to the point that we could recite them in our sleep.

[BikerDoc5968]

The Ranunculus I'm referring to are the Tecolote variety that grow from bulbs.

[Royal]

Originally Posted by camille1585

Not potato family! Potatoes are in the Solanaceae,(the nightshade family with tomatoes and eggplant) and Oenothera are in the Onagraceae (Fuchsia is also in this family).

I'm actually surprised that I remembered the name, since my botany courses were 3 years ago. Just some of the little details I had to learn by heart. We learned 500 plants, names and culture, to the point that we could recite them in our sleep.

How embarrassing. It's been about 8 or 9 years since my botany courses. Maybe time to dust off the old notebooks.