coum—Blooms in February and March; choice of red, white, or pink. Dark-green foliage.
europaeum—Fragrant red flowers in late summer. Leaves marbled.
libanoticum—Large flowers with dainty pink blending into white, in early spring. Foliage marbled.
neapolitanum—Exquisite silver-zoned leaves follow the rosy-pink flowers that push their buds through the soil in September. The variety album is white.
repandum—Red-purple flowers with wide-flaring petals, in April.
CARE. Humusy soil, with drainage. Must never dry out, but roots must never stand in water. Humidity in greenhouse. Outdoors, shade. Small amount of lime. Once established, small amounts of rotted manure.
PROPAGATION. Seeds, and division (plant with top of tuber at surface; may be dormant first year after planting).
SPECIAL USES. Rock and woodland gardens, forcing.
Eranthis Ranunculaceae Winter Aconite
Often during a mild January or February this little flower blooms with its butter-yellow cup on a stem only four inches above the ground. The finely-cut leaves form a collar below the blooms.