10 Stunning Flowers That Look Like Ranunculus

The ranunculus flower is adored for its delicate, paper-thin petals that swirl into a tight, beautiful bloom. Its romantic and charming appearance makes it a favourite for weddings and special occasions. However, due to seasonal availability or budget, you might be looking for alternatives.

This guide explores ten gorgeous flowers that share the multi-layered beauty of the ranunculus. You will discover wonderful options that can provide that same lush, ruffled look for any floral arrangement, helping you find the perfect flower for your needs in Singapore.

Why Look for Ranunculus Alternatives?

Choosing an alternative to ranunculus is not about settling for second best. Instead, it is about opening up a world of new floral possibilities. Different flowers can offer unique advantages, whether it is year-round availability, a more attractive price point, or a captivating fragrance. Exploring these options allows you to create stunning and memorable arrangements for any occasion.

Seasonal Availability in Singapore

Ranunculus are cool-weather flowers, which means their peak season in Singapore can be limited and they often need to be imported. This can affect their freshness and cost. 

By choosing a flower that is more readily available locally or has a longer growing season, you can ensure you have beautiful, fresh blooms for your event or home, no matter the time of year. Flowers like carnations and some varieties of roses, for example, are generally available year-round.

Budget Considerations

While undeniably beautiful, ranunculus are often considered a premium flower, and their price can reflect that. If you are planning a large event or simply want a fuller bouquet for your budget, alternatives can be a smart choice. 

Flowers like carnations and double tulips can provide a similar lush, multi-petalled look at a more accessible price. This allows you to create abundant, luxurious arrangements without stretching your budget.

Exploring Different Textures and Scents

The search for an alternative is also an opportunity to discover the unique qualities of other flowers. While ranunculus have a very subtle scent, a garden rose can fill a room with a classic, romantic fragrance.

A peony offers large, dramatic blooms, while a lisianthus provides a delicate, graceful elegance. Each alternative brings its own distinct personality, texture, and charm, allowing you to tailor your floral choice perfectly to the mood and style you wish to create.

Top 10 Flowers with a Striking Resemblance to Ranunculus

Many flowers capture the dense, layered petal structure that makes ranunculus so captivating. From classic roses to surprising carnations, these ten blooms are excellent substitutes that deliver on beauty and charm.

1. Garden Roses - The Epitome of Romance

Garden roses are perhaps the most popular and beloved alternative to ranunculus. Their classic beauty and incredible variety make them a versatile choice for any occasion. Many cultivars have been specifically bred to have a high petal count and a rounded, cup-like shape that is very similar to a ranunculus.

The tightly packed, spiralling petals of a garden rose create a lush, rounded bloom that is often mistaken for a high-end ranunculus. Varieties like David Austin roses are particularly known for this dense, ruffled appearance. They come in a vast spectrum of colours, from soft pastels to vibrant, bold hues, making it easy to find a perfect match for any colour scheme.

Unlike the mostly scentless ranunculus, many garden rose varieties boast a captivating and powerful fragrance. This adds an extra sensory layer to your bouquet that can be truly enchanting. Garden roses also tend to have stronger, woodier stems, which can make them easier to work with in arrangements.

Their robust and timeless nature makes garden roses an excellent choice for bridal bouquets, romantic centrepieces, and anniversary gifts. They are incredibly durable and hold up well throughout a long day, making them a reliable option for weddings. In Singapore, many varieties of garden roses are available year-round from suppliers, though premium types may have more specific seasonal peaks.

2. Peonies - The Lush and Luxurious Cousin

Peonies are another flower frequently compared to ranunculus, beloved for their large, dramatic, and incredibly lush blooms. They share a similar rounded shape and a dense concentration of soft, delicate petals.

The most obvious similarity is the full, multi-layered appearance. When a peony is in full bloom, its dense ball of ruffled petals is a spectacular sight that exudes luxury and romance. Both flowers offer a soft, feminine aesthetic that is perfect for elegant events.

The key difference between them is size. Peonies are significantly larger than ranunculus, with blooms that can open up to be several inches across. A few peony stems can create a full and impactful arrangement on their own. While some varieties are unscented, many peonies have a lovely, sweet fragrance.

Peonies are the ultimate statement flower, perfect for bridal bouquets, luxurious home arrangements, and any occasion where you want to make a grand impression. Their short but glorious blooming season in late spring and early summer makes them highly sought after. In Singapore, peonies are a prized seasonal import, and their fleeting availability only adds to their special appeal.

3. Carnations - The Surprisingly Ruffled Beauty

Carnations have undergone a remarkable transformation in reputation. Once seen as a simple filler flower, modern varieties are now celebrated for their intricate, ruffled petals that bear a striking resemblance to ranunculus, especially when fully open.

It is the dense, fringed petals of the carnation that make it a surprisingly effective substitute. When several stems are grouped, their combined texture creates a full, cloud-like effect that mimics the look of more expensive blooms. They are available in an incredible array of colours, including unique variegated and bi-colour options not commonly found in ranunculus.

Carnations are far more budget-friendly than ranunculus, making them an excellent choice for creating large-scale arrangements or for anyone seeking a cost-effective option. They are also known for their exceptionally long vase life, often lasting for two weeks or more with proper care. This durability makes them a practical and beautiful choice.

Thanks to their affordability and longevity, carnations are perfect for everything from everyday home decor to large event installations. They are a wonderful choice for birthday bouquets, get-well-soon arrangements, and celebrations of all kinds. Best of all, carnations are available year-round in Singapore, making them a reliable and beautiful staple.

4. Double Tulips - The Elegant Springtime Staple

While single tulips have a distinct cup shape, double tulips are filled with an extra layer of petals that gives them a full, ruffled look, much like a ranunculus or a peony. They offer a unique and elegant alternative.

The resemblance comes from the sheer volume of petals packed into the bloom. As a double tulip opens, it reveals a soft, multi-layered interior that looks incredibly lush. Their stems have a natural, graceful curve that adds a beautiful, organic movement to arrangements, a quality they share with ranunculus.

Double tulips have a more delicate petal texture than ranunculus, which can be almost translucent in some light. They are also known for "growing" in the vase, as their stems continue to elongate after being cut, which can be a charming and dynamic feature. Unlike ranunculus, tulips are distinctly a spring flower.

Their elegant and sophisticated appearance makes double tulips perfect for spring wedding bouquets, Easter arrangements, and stylish home decor. They bring a fresh and seasonal touch to any setting. In Singapore, tulips are a popular imported flower, with peak availability during the cooler months of the year, from winter through spring.

5. Lisianthus - The Delicate and Graceful Alternative

Lisianthus, also known as Eustoma, is a beautiful flower with soft, ruffled petals and a shape that can look very similar to a ranunculus or a rose, especially in its semi-open stage.

The delicate, swirling petals of a double-flowered lisianthus create a soft, romantic look. The blooms grow in clusters on a single stem, giving you multiple flowers for every stem you use, which helps in creating full arrangements. They have a graceful, elegant appearance that is both timeless and modern.

Lisianthus flowers have thinner, more delicate petals than ranunculus. They also have a longer, more slender shape rather than the perfectly round shape of a ranunculus. However, their main advantage is their incredible vase life. Lisianthus are one of the longest-lasting cut flowers available, often looking fresh for well over a week.

Their elegance and longevity make lisianthus a superb choice for wedding arrangements, bouquets that need to travel, and any floral gift intended to last. They add a touch of sophistication to any bouquet. Lisianthus are widely cultivated and are generally available year-round in Singapore from florists.

6. Camellias - The Flawless Formal Bloom

Camellias are a woody shrub that produces stunning, perfectly formed flowers with a dense structure of overlapping petals, making them a wonderful look-alike for ranunculus, particularly the flatter, more open varieties.

The formal double varieties of camellia have a precise, geometric arrangement of petals that spiral out from the centre, just like a ranunculus. This creates a flawless, symmetrical bloom that is incredibly beautiful. The petals are often thick and waxy, giving them a luxurious and substantial feel.

Camellias are typically available as cuttings from a shrub rather than as long-stemmed flowers, so they are best used in arrangements where stem length is not crucial, such as low centrepieces or corsages. They also have glossy, dark green leaves that are often included with the bloom, adding beautiful foliage to any design.

Their formal beauty makes camellias a favourite for elegant and traditional events, especially winter weddings. They are also beautiful when floated in a bowl of water as a simple, stunning centrepiece. Camellias have a specific blooming season, typically from autumn through to spring, depending on the variety.

7. Begonias (Tuberous Varieties) - The Vibrant and Full-Bodied Option

While commonly known as a potted plant, the tuberous varieties of begonia produce spectacular, multi-petalled flowers that look incredibly similar to ranunculus and are sometimes used as cut flowers.

The blooms of tuberous begonias are packed with layers of ruffled, delicate petals, creating a very full and rounded shape. They are famous for their incredibly vibrant, almost luminous colours, including bright oranges, yellows, and reds that are not always available in ranunculus.

Begonia stems are typically thicker and more fragile than ranunculus stems, so they require careful handling when used in arrangements. The flowers can be quite heavy, which gives them a beautiful, slightly pendulous quality. They are not as common in commercial floristry but are a stunning option if you can find them.

Their bold colours make begonias perfect for cheerful, celebratory arrangements for birthdays, summer parties, and festivals. They bring a burst of energy and joy to any setting. Their availability as a cut flower in Singapore may be limited and seasonal, often found through specialty growers.

8. Peony Poppies - The Whimsical and Paper-like Flower

Peony poppies are an annual variety of poppy that produces large, double flowers with crinkled, paper-thin petals. They have a wonderfully wild and romantic look that is reminiscent of a fully-bloomed ranunculus.

The resemblance is in the sheer abundance of delicate, tissue-like petals that form a large, fluffy ball. Peony poppies have a less structured, more whimsical appearance than the neatly swirled ranunculus, giving them a charming, garden-gathered feel.

After the petals drop, peony poppies leave behind a highly decorative seed pod that is prized in dried arrangements, giving you two uses from one flower. However, as a cut flower, they have a very short vase life, often lasting only a few days. They are best enjoyed for a brief, beautiful moment.

Their wild, ephemeral beauty makes them perfect for rustic or bohemian-style wedding bouquets and naturalistic, artistic arrangements. They are for occasions where their fleeting beauty can be appreciated. Peony poppies are a seasonal flower, typically available in the spring from specialty growers.

9. Anemones - The Modern and Striking Choice

While anemones have a simpler petal structure, their beautiful cup shape and striking dark centre create a visual effect similar to that of a ranunculus, offering a more modern and graphic alternative.

The similarity comes from the gently cupped shape of the petals that surround a central button. This structure gives the anemone a depth and focus that is comparable to the tight centre of a ranunculus. They are cherished for their bold and dramatic look.

The most defining feature of the anemone is its dark, contrasting centre, which gives it a graphic quality that ranunculus does not have. Anemones are also more delicate and require careful handling. They come in pure, saturated colours, with white, red, and deep purple being the most popular.

Their modern and chic appearance makes anemones a favourite for contemporary floral designs, black-tie events, and artistic bouquets. They look stunning on their own or mixed with other flowers. Anemones are a cool-season flower, primarily available from winter through to spring in Singapore.

10. Persian Buttercups - The Closest Relative

This may seem like an obvious choice, as the common name for Ranunculus is the Persian Buttercup. They belong to the same plant genus. However, it is worth highlighting them to clarify that when you see "Persian Buttercup," you are looking at the flower you already love.

They are, for all intents and purposes, the same flower. The name simply reinforces the qualities you are looking for: layers upon layers of delicate, paper-thin petals that unfurl from a tight, swirled centre. They are the benchmark against which all the other alternatives on this list are measured.

The primary difference you might encounter is in the naming or the specific cultivar. Florists may use the names interchangeably. You might find varieties under the name "Persian Buttercup" that have slightly different characteristics, such as unique colours or larger bloom sizes, compared to what is simply labelled "Ranunculus."

Persian Buttercups are perfect for any occasion that calls for ranunculus – from romantic wedding bouquets to cheerful spring arrangements. Their meaning is tied to charm and attractiveness. They are a cool-season flower, with peak availability in Singapore during the spring months.

How to Care for Your Ranunculus-Style Flowers

To get the most out of your beautiful, multi-petalled flowers, proper care is essential. These blooms have dense heads and can be thirsty, so a little attention will ensure they last as long as possible. Follow these simple flower care tips to keep them looking fresh and vibrant.

• Step 1: Trim the Stems: When your flowers arrive, use a sharp pair of scissors or a knife to trim at least 2-3 cm off the bottom of each stem. Cut them at a 45-degree angle, as this increases the surface area for water absorption.
• Step 2: Use a Clean Vase: Make sure your vase is thoroughly cleaned with soap and water before you use it. Bacteria in a dirty vase is the number one enemy of fresh flowers, as it can clog the stems and prevent them from drinking water.
• Step 3: Add Flower Food: Fill your vase with cool, fresh water and mix in the packet of flower food that comes with your bouquet. Flower food contains sugar to nourish the blooms, an acidifier to help the stems absorb water, and a biocide to kill harmful bacteria.
• Step 4: Remove Lower Leaves: Gently remove any leaves on the lower part of the stems that will sit below the waterline in the vase. Submerged leaves will quickly rot, creating food for bacteria that will shorten the life of your flowers.
• Step 5: Find the Right Spot: Place your vase in a cool spot in your home, away from direct sunlight, heating vents, or radiators. Also, keep flowers away from bowls of ripening fruit, which release ethylene gas that can cause blooms to wilt prematurely.
• Step 6: Change the Water Regularly: For best results, change the water in the vase completely every two days. Re-trim the stems each time you do this to ensure they can continue to drink effectively. This simple step can add days to the life of your bouquet.

Conclusion On Flowers That Look Like Ranunculus

The delicate, swirling beauty of the ranunculus can be found in many other wonderful flowers. While ranunculus will always be a favourite, alternatives like garden roses, peonies, and even carnations offer their own unique charm, benefits, and breathtaking beauty. 

Choosing the perfect flower depends on the season, your budget, and the specific style you want to achieve. The world of flowers is vast and filled with gorgeous options, ensuring there is always a perfect bloom for your special occasion.

If you have any questions or want to order a beautiful bouquet of flowers, please do not hesitate to contact us. 

To find beautiful flowers and bouquets for any occasion, visit Singapore Florist.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flowers That Look Like Ranunculus

What Flower Is a Cheaper Alternative to Ranunculus?

Carnations are widely considered the best cheaper alternative to ranunculus. Modern carnation varieties have beautifully ruffled, dense petals that create a similar full and textured look, especially when grouped. They are available year-round, come in a vast range of colours, and have an excellent vase life, offering great value.

What Is the Difference Between a Ranunculus and a Peony?

The main difference between a ranunculus and a peony is size. Peonies have much larger and more dramatic blooms, often several inches across, while ranunculus flowers are smaller and more delicate. Peonies also have a shorter, more distinct blooming season in late spring, making them a highly anticipated luxury flower.

What Flower Looks Like a Rose but Isn't?

Lisianthus is a flower that is often mistaken for a rose. It has soft, layered petals and a similar graceful shape. Double-flowered lisianthus, in particular, has a ruffled appearance that can also resemble a ranunculus.

Are Ranunculus and Peonies the Same?

No, ranunculus and peonies are not the same. They belong to different plant families. While they share a similar romantic aesthetic with many layers of petals, their size, foliage, and seasonal availability are quite different.

What Do Ranunculus Flowers Symbolise?

Ranunculus flowers symbolise charm, attractiveness, and radiance. Because of their bright colours and delightful appearance, they are often given to tell someone you are "dazzled by their charms." They are a popular choice for weddings and romantic occasions.

What Is a Good Substitute for Peonies?

A good substitute for peonies would be the garden rose. Many varieties of garden roses, such as David Austin roses, have large, cup-shaped blooms packed with petals that strongly resemble a peony. They offer a similar romantic and lush feel and are often more readily available throughout the year.