Plants of Niwot Ridge

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Snow Buttercup

Ranunculus adoneus

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The Snow Buttercup grows at the edge of melting snowbeds. It will grow through one or two inches of snow and flower almost immediately -- sometimes while still surrounded by snow. The leaves don't turn green and photosynthesize until after the plant has flowered. Snow Buttercups go through their life cycle very quickly, with only a month passing between their first appearance and the production of seed.

The petals of the flower are very shiny on the inside, and this shinyness is thought to help the plants collect water and perhaps focus the heat of the sun on the reproductive parts of the flower. The water collected may be used to help pollination occur, since pollen will float on the water and the water level is just high enough to bring the pollen near the stigma (the female reproductive parts). Since the Snow Buttercups live in areas where the growing season is really short, it has developed these features to help it set seed quickly.