Bird's-eye
Adonis vernalis
Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae)
Radiant early yellow
As red as the flowers of the summer pheasant’s-eye actually are, this plant – the spring pheasant’s-eye – produces large, yet equally vibrant yellow flowers from March onwards. In the wild, the spring pheasant’s-eye occurs in dry grasslands from Spain to Western Siberia but unfortunately this species has disappeared in the Netherlands. Where it is still able to flourish it is radiant and is therefore widely used in ornamental gardens as a perennial. It grows to a height of 30 cm at most and has a brown-black rhizome in which food reserves are stored that enable early flowering.
Notably the spring pheasant’s-eye contains a toxin to deter grazing animals. These toxins cause e.g. diarrhoea in humans. Adonis vernalis contains several heart stimulating substances producing an effect similar to that of Digitalis (foxglove). As a result of harvesting from the wild, numbers of this species have fallen sharply.
Themes
Crown jewel in the Holland Open Air Museum.
This plant plays a role in homeopathy.
Spring pheasant's eye is poisonous.
Details
Description: | Herb, 15 to 50 cm. |
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Distributions: | Central, southern and eastern europe |
Habitat: | Pasture and occasionally in thickets. |
Year cycle: | Perennial (trees and shrubs included) |
Hardiness: | Colder than -4 f (very hardy) |
Flowering period: | April - juni |
Flower color: | Yellow |
At its best: | April - juni |