10 Buttercup facts you probably didn’t know.

A childhood favorite Buttercups are one of the most common wild flowers.  Their abundant bright yellow flowers are hard to miss, inhabiting meadows, fields, by the roadside, in our gardens, swamps and bogs. But here are some facts you may or may not know about this much-loved wild flower.

1. There are nearly 2000 different species of buttercup.
2. Some species of buttercup have red, orange or white flowers.
3. The scientific name of butterfly is called  ‘Ranunculus’.  This translates from the latin language as ‘little frog’.  This is because buttercups are often found to grow near water like small frogs.
4. All parts of the buttercup are poisonous to both humans and animals.
5. Buttercups possess a pool of nectar on the bottom part of their petals. This is unique to the buttercup and cannot be found in any other yellow flowers. The nectar attracts many insects and helps with pollination.
6. Buttercups are part of the Ranunculaceae family and is a type of herbaceous plant.
7. Buttercups have a layer of reflective cells, which gives them their lustrous appearance.
8. The reflective cells can be seen in action, in the popular childhood game to determine if a child likes butter.  The buttercup is placed under the chin and if it reflects, the child is said to like butter.
9. These reflective properties can also during the right conditions, create a bright flash of light.  Which attracts insects from a distance.
10. Buttercups are ‘heliotropic’ which means they follow the sun.  Wow How cool is that?