Continental Floral Greens has always been known for premium foliage – greens that bring texture, durability, and a sense of place to floral programs across the country. But as the company continues to grow, they're leaning into something bigger. Keep reading to know what they're up to!
Growing Beyond Greens
One of the most exciting crops leading that next chapter is Ranunculus Butterfly, grown in their Watsonville, California greenhouses. Butterfly Ranunculus isn’t only a beautiful seasonal flower. It’s a crop built for wholesale success, being high-impact, surprisingly resilient, and designed to keep performing long after it arrives.
Diverse colors and a beautiful shape, meet the butterfly variety!
What Makes Butterfly Ranunculus Different?
More petals. Fuller stems. Better programs.
Photo: @greenandgorgeousflowers
Unlike standard Ranunculus (often one bloom per stem), Butterfly Ranunculus is known for having multiple blooms per stem, paired with fuller foliage that makes each bunch feel abundant and premium, perfect for bouquet programs and spring features.
Their delicate look, along with durable performance, also makes it an all-time favorite nowadays. These flowers may look soft and airy, but they are definitely tougher than you’d expect. The petals have a waxy, resilient finish that helps protect their structure, meaning they hold up beautifully through handling and transport.
(Yes… even if petals get crunched a bit in the box.)
A Flower That Keeps Giving
One of the most unique features of ranunculus, especially for wholesale, is how it continues to develop after harvest. You can receive a bunch with a mix of bud stages and open blooms, and it will continue to open and flourish as it hydrates. If a flower arrives early, broken, or over-open, you can often pinch it off and still watch new ones continue to emerge from the bunch.
Ranunculus loves water (and it shows)! Specifically, this type drinks a lot. Fresh water and a clean environment bring this crop back to life quickly, and it’s one of the reasons it's such a spring favorite. It’s showy, long-lasting, and rewarding to work with.
If Ranunculus wilts, it’s not the end of the story:
Trim the stems, refresh the water, and it often perks back up beautifully.
Seasonality and Ordering - What Buyers Need to Know
The Butterfly Ranunculus season typically begins harvesting in January, and weather permitting, Continental Floral Greens aims to make it available through Mother’s Day.
Because Ranunculus timing is influenced by spring conditions, planning ahead matters. Here are a few key notes for buyers:
- December ordering is recommended for early holiday needs (especially Valentine’s programs).
- Color timing varies. Some colors come earlier than others, depending on the season.
- If you want them for major moments – Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day – planning early helps secure quantities.
Continental Floral Greens Watsonville Butterfly Ranunculus Varieties
Grown in their Watsonville, California greenhouses, they've narrowed their program down to varieties that perform well by color, stem quality, and petal count.
Varieties include:
- Ariadne – Light Pink
- Dionne – Yellow
- Hades – Red
- Hera / Lycia – Pink
- Helios – Light Yellow
- Graces – Cream
Post-Harvest Care and Quality Focus
Quality of Ranunculus is won and lost quickly – so the team behind CFG prioritizes speed, hydration, and consistent checks.
The process includes:
- Getting stems into water and the cooler as quickly as possible
- Supporting hydration with clean post-harvest practices (including chlorine sanitation tools)
- Allowing the flowers to take an overnight drink in the cooler before shipping whenever possible
- Ensuring the product ships best via wet-pack methods for freshness and performance
They also maintain daily quality routines, including:
- Walking rows and checking harvest readiness
- Building consistent assorted boxes and stem-count programs (3-stem, 5-stem, etc.)
- QC at packing, with improved tracking as racks come in
A New Chapter at Continental
Butterfly Ranunculus is part of a bigger evolution at Continental Floral Greens. They're still rooted in what they do best – quality, consistency, and programs built for wholesale – but they are expanding what they grow and what they bring to the market.
'More Than Greens' is not only about a tagline but about the company's promise, and Butterfly Ranunculus is just the beginning.
Videos by CFG.
