'WINTER ACONITE' Winter buttercup (Eranthis hyemalis var. 'cilicica')

'Winter Aconite' is a Ranunculus relative that emerges in mid-February. The tiny single-leafed plant pushes up through the snow to present a single, cup-like, bright butter-yellow blossom; one of the earliest of the new season. Depending on weather, they can brighten the garden for a surprisingly long period. After flowering, the deeply dissected leaves persist through the late spring and then go dormant. Some taxonomists consider Eranthis cilicica to the be the same as Eranthis hyemalis, but at the very least, these represent different populations with slightly different flowering times. Both 'Winter Aconites' prefer a well-amended organic soil that stays damp for extended periods in winter and spring, but not in standing water.

Zones 4-7

Tubers are available only in the FALL.