Each year, florists and garden retailers announce a flower and a plant that capture the mood of the coming season. For 2025, the picks are ranunculus as the Flower of the Year and snake plant as the Plant of the Year. The ranunculus brings layers of tissue-thin petals in a wide color range, while snake plant delivers sculptural form with almost no upkeep. Together they cover opposite ends of the gardening spectrum: a bloom you tend for weeks and a houseplant that forgives neglect. Gardeners who want repeated color without replanting can rely on self-seeding flowers for annuals that return every year, while these two selections reward a single well-timed planting.
Why Ranunculus Won the Flower of the Year Title
Ranunculus asiaticus, the Persian buttercup, produces flowers built from dozens of thin petals stacked in tight layers. The blooms open in shades of white, cream, peach, pink, orange, red, and deep burgundy, which makes them an easy substitute for roses in arrangements. Stems run 10 to 18 inches tall, and each one carries a single flower head that holds its color for 7 to 10 days in a vase.
The 2025 selection committee highlighted the flower’s symbolism: enthusiasm, love, admiration, and happiness. That meaning, paired with the wide color range, explains why ranunculus shows up in wedding bouquets, sympathy arrangements, and spring gift boxes. Retailers also like the economics. A ranunculus stem costs less than a comparable rose stem at wholesale, and the flowers ship well because the petals are naturally sturdy.
A Rose Alternative Without the Thorns
Roses demand pruning, feeding, and pest patrols. Ranunculus skips most of that work. The corms go in the ground in fall in mild climates or early spring in cold zones, and plants bloom for 4 to 6 weeks starting in mid-spring. Florists favor the flower because petals hold color without bruising and stems take up water readily. Home gardeners see the same benefits in the bed: follow the essential flower care and maintenance tips for home gardeners and the plants stay productive through their whole bloom window.
Bloom Timing and Vase Life
From planting to first bloom takes about 90 days. Cut stems when buds show color but have not fully opened, and they keep developing in water. Change the water every other day and recut the stems at an angle to stretch the display past a week. In the garden, deadheading spent blooms pushes the plant to produce more flower stalks, which extends the show by 7 to 14 days.
Color Palette Guide
- White and cream pairs with greenery for bridal work
- Peach and apricot softens mixed spring borders
- Pink and rose suits cottage garden plantings
- Orange and red adds heat to tropical-style beds
- Deep burgundy creates drama in evening gardens
Snake Plant: The Plant of the Year for Low Maintenance Homes
Snake plant, known botanically as Dracaena trifasciata and formerly Sansevieria, earned the Plant of the Year nod for tolerating low light, dry air, and irregular watering. The upright, sword-shaped leaves reach 2 to 4 feet indoors, and the plant ranks among the easiest houseplants to keep alive. Unlike ranunculus, it rarely blooms indoors, so its value comes from form rather than flowers. The program rotates its picks annually, and the 2026 flower and plant selections reveal how industry priorities changed after this pair.
Air Purification Claims and Care Reality
The NASA Clean Air Study of the 1980s identified snake plant as effective at removing formaldehyde, benzene, xylene, and toluene from indoor air. Later research found that a single plant makes only a modest difference in a full-size room, so treat the air-quality benefit as a bonus rather than the main reason to buy one. The plant also uses CAM photosynthesis, taking in carbon dioxide at night and releasing oxygen, a trait that makes it a popular bedroom companion.
Snake Plant Care Essentials
- Light: bright indirect light is best, but low light is tolerated
- Water: soak thoroughly, then let the soil dry completely between waterings
- Soil: use a fast-draining cactus or succulent mix
- Temperature: keep above 50 F; the comfort zone is 60 to 85 F
- Fertilizer: feed lightly once or twice during spring and summer
Propagation is simple. Divide an overgrown clump with a clean knife, or cut a leaf into 4-inch sections and root them in moist soil. New plants take 4 to 8 weeks to establish, and each division can start a new pot.
Common Snake Plant Mistakes
Overwatering causes most failures. Yellowing, mushy leaves signal root rot, which spreads quickly in dense soil. Underwatering produces wrinkled leaves that recover within days of a deep drink. Cold drafts and direct afternoon sun scorch the leaf tips, so keep the pot away from heating vents and west-facing windows. Repot only when roots crowd the container, about every 2 to 3 years.
Step-by-Step: Planting Ranunculus Corms
Ranunculus grows from claw-shaped corms that look like small octopuses. The corms arrive dry and hard, and soaking them before planting triggers growth. Time the planting so soil stays cool while roots establish, then warms as flower stalks form. Zones 8 through 10 plant in fall for spring bloom; colder zones plant in early spring as soon as the ground can be worked.
Corm Preparation and Spacing
Soak corms in room-temperature water for 3 to 4 hours; they plump to roughly twice their dry size. Space them 4 to 6 inches apart, plant 2 inches deep with the claw points facing down, and cluster them in groups of 7 or more for a natural drift of color. Prepare the bed by loosening soil to 8 inches and mixing in compost for drainage.
- Soak corms for 3 to 4 hours in room-temperature water
- Choose a spot with full sun and soil that drains quickly
- Dig holes 2 inches deep and space them 4 to 6 inches apart
- Set each corm with the claw side down and cover with soil
- Water gently after planting, then keep the soil lightly moist
- Watch for sprouts in 2 to 3 weeks and blooms about 90 days after planting
Container and Bed Options
Corms grow well in pots 10 to 12 inches wide with drainage holes, planted 5 to 7 per container. In the ground, raised beds prevent the waterlogging that rots corms in heavy clay. For a decorative twist, a patio flower planter made from an old filing cabinet gives the corms the depth and drainage they need while keeping the display at waist height. Whatever container you choose, mulch lightly to keep soil temperature steady.
Feeding and Mulching
Mix a slow-release bulb fertilizer into the soil at planting. Side-dress with a balanced liquid feed every 2 weeks once foliage appears. A 1-inch layer of straw or shredded bark keeps soil cool and suppresses weeds. Stop feeding when foliage yellows, because the corms are entering dormancy.
Designing a Flower Bed Around Both Plants
Ranunculus and snake plant occupy different layers of a planting, so they combine well in one bed. Ranunculus forms a low, mounded carpet of color at the front of a border, while snake plant supplies upright spikes that anchor the back. The contrast between feathery petals and stiff leaves gives the bed structure from spring through fall.
Before digging, map the space on paper. A solid flower bed layout plan accounts for mature plant sizes, sun exposure, and bloom succession, so the bed looks intentional from the street and from the window. Group ranunculus in drifts rather than single rows, and position snake plant where its vertical lines frame a doorway, bench, or path.
Companion Planting Combinations
- Ranunculus with pansies or violas for early spring color
- Snake plant with pothos or philodendron for a mixed houseplant display
- Ranunculus in front of evergreen shrubs for seasonal interest
- Snake plant in a row as a room divider or entry accent
Seasonal Rotation Plan
In cold climates, treat ranunculus as a spring annual and replace it with warm-season annuals once temperatures climb. Snake plant stays indoors year-round or moves to a shaded patio in summer. This rotation keeps the bed active for 8 months instead of the 6-week ranunculus bloom alone, and it gives you two distinct looks from one planting area.
Ranunculus vs. Snake Plant at a Glance
| Feature | Ranunculus | Snake Plant |
|---|---|---|
| Plant type | Corm-grown perennial, annual in cold zones | Succulent-like houseplant |
| Light | Full sun to partial shade | Low to bright indirect light |
| Water | Keep soil evenly moist | Let soil dry between waterings |
| Bloom season | Spring, 4 to 6 weeks | Rarely blooms indoors |
| Height | 10 to 18 inches | 2 to 4 feet |
| Best use | Cut flowers and borders | Interior accents and air quality |
Seasonal Care, Pests, and Protection
Both plants face predictable problems, and most have simple fixes. Ranunculus needs consistent moisture but resents standing water. Snake plant wants the opposite: deep, infrequent drinks and a pot that dries out between waterings.
Pests and Diseases to Watch
- Aphids cluster on ranunculus buds; rinse them off with a strong spray
- Powdery mildew appears when foliage stays wet; water at the base
- Spider mites and mealybugs attack snake plant in dry indoor air; wipe leaves and raise humidity
- Root rot from overwatering kills more snake plants than any pest does
Outdoors, rodents are the bigger threat. Squirrels dig up corms after planting, especially in fall when they cache food. Proven strategies for protecting flower bulbs from squirrels include planting corms deeper, covering the bed with wire mesh until sprouts emerge, and applying scent deterrents around the planting area.
Extending the Bloom Window
Plant ranunculus in two successions spaced 2 weeks apart in early spring, and harvest stems as buds color to keep plants producing. Deadhead spent flowers weekly. In zones 8 through 10, a fall planting blooms earlier and longer than a spring planting, and lifting corms in summer to store them dry protects them from summer heat and moisture.
Overwintering Options
In cold zones, dig corms after foliage yellows, dry them for a few days, brush off soil, and store them in a cool, dry spot around 50 F. Check stored corms monthly and discard any that rot. This simple step turns an annual purchase into a repeating investment, which is why gardeners in zones 5 through 7 still grow ranunculus year after year.
Choosing where each plant fits comes down to life cycle. Ranunculus behaves like a perennial in zones 8 through 10 and an annual elsewhere, while snake plant is a tender perennial grown as a houseplant in most regions. Reviewing the differences between annuals, perennials, and biennials helps you match each pick to your zone and schedule, so the 2025 Flower of the Year and Plant of the Year earn their keep in your garden and your home.