The key difference between peonies and ranunculus is that peonies are flowering plants of the genus Peonia which produce large, colourful single, semi-double, or double flowers while Ranunculus is a genus of flowering plants that produces colourful double flowers with a smaller bloom size and flatter shape.
Peonies and ranunculus are two flowering plants that produce colourful blooms. They are herbaceous perennials. They die each year when the winter arrives. Then they grow again from tubers. They both look similar, but they are different. Ranunculus blooms are smaller than peonies. Moreover, peonies tubers are larger than ranunculus tubers. They are popular garden ornamentals. Peonies and Ranunculus flowers can fill your garden with different colours. They can grow in any type of garden soil and prefer full sun.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What are Peonies
3. What is Ranunculus
4. Similarities Between Peonies and Ranunculus
5. Side by Side Comparison – Peonies vs Ranunculus in Tabular Form
6. Summary
What are Peonies?
Peonies are flowers belonging to the flowering plant genus Peonia and family Paeoniaceae. There are 30 Peonia species. Peonies flowers are very colourful flowers ranging from purple and pink to red, white or yellow. They are one of the most popular garden plants.
Figure 01: Peonia Flower
There are six types of peonies flowers as anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb. When compared to Ranunculus, peonies have a large bloom size and a non-flatter shape. Moreover, fragrances vary among the different peonies. Peonia spp. are also useful as foliage plants. They are mostly herbaceous perennials. Moreover, they are hardy plants and are a type of deer-resistant plants. Some Peonia plants are shrubs.
What is Ranunculus?
Ranunculus is a genus of flowering plants. There are over 600 species in this genus. Ranunculus species produce very attractive flowers with diverse colours ranging from jewel tones to baby pinks and bright whites. They are buttercups. The most cultivated species is Persian buttercup which is Ranunculus asiaticus.
Figure 02: Ranunculus
Ranunculi can be annuals or perennials. Ranunculus flowers are bit smaller than Peonia. Moreover, flowers have a flatter shape. Flowers appear on its erect 12- to 18-inch-tall stems. Similar to Peonies, ranunculus flower has a lot of layers. In fact, they are double flowers with many layers of petals closely arranged in a circle. However, unlike peonies, the space between petals is clearly defined. When blooming, Ranunculus flowers show an origami look. They also open up in a perfectly folded manner.
What are the Similarities Between Peonies and Ranunculus?
- Both peonies and ranunculus are flowering plants.
- They both produce showy, colourful flowers.
- Their flower colours are diverse.
- Moreover, they are popular garden ornaments.
- Both types of plants can fill your garden with different colours.
- These types of plants are perennials.
- They grow from a bulb-like structure called tuber or tuberous roots.
What is the Difference Between Peonies and Ranunculus?
Peonies are flowering plants belonging to genus Peonia and family Paeoniaceae while Ranunculus is a genus of flowering plants of family Ranunculaceae. The key difference between peonies and ranunculus is that peonies are large colourful single, semi-double, and double flowers while Ranunculus have colourful double flowers with a smaller bloom size and flatter shape. Peonia species are mainly herbaceous perennials. Some are shrubs. Ranunculus species can be annuals or perennials. Moreover, the Peonia genus comprises approximately 30 species while the Ranunculus genus comprises approximately 600 species.
The below infographic summarizes the difference between peonies and ranunculus.
Summary – Peonies vs Ranunculus
Peonies and ranunculus are two different types of flowering plants that produce attractive, colourful blossoms. Peonia species belong to family Paeoniaceae while Ranunculus species belong to family Ranunculaceae. Ranunculus flowers are small and flat in comparison to peonies. Furthermore, peonies can be anemone, single, Japanese, semi-double, double, and bomb while ranunculus flowers are double flowers. Thus, this summarizes the difference between peonies and ranunculus.
Reference:
1. “Peony.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 28 Nov. 2020, Available here.
2. “Ranunculus.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “PaeoniaSuffruticosa7” By Fanghong – Own work (CC BY 2.5) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “3998328” (CC0) via Pixabay