Buttercup
Featured in: Year 1: Plants
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Buttercup
Wildflower
A shiny, yellow flower commonly found in meadows and grassy areas.
How to identify:
Look for a small flower with five glossy, bright yellow petals that look like they have been polished.
💡 Fun Facts
- It was once believed that the yellow colour of butter came from cows eating buttercups.
- The shiny surface of the petals is due to a special layer of cells that reflects light.
- If you hold a buttercup under your chin, the yellow reflection is supposed to show whether you like butter!
📅 Through the Year
- Flowering:May to August
Name Story
Ranunculus acris
means “the sharp-tasting little frog”
a traditional storyThe ‘little frog’ idea — that these flowers like the same damp places as frogs — is a traditional explanation people have long given.
What does its name mean?
- Ranunculus — little frogLatin rana ‘frog’ + -unculus ‘little’
- acris — sharp, bitingLatin acris ‘sharp, acrid’
‘Little frog’ — because people long ago noticed these flowers liked the same damp spots as frogs. The ‘sharp’ part is very real, though: the sap is bitter and stings, so grazing animals leave it well alone.