Discover the beauty of anemone flowers—from their history and varieties to planting tips and care
Available in spring and fall blooming species, anemone flowers (pronounced Ah-NEM-oh-ne) provide charming, vibrant blooms throughout the growing season. These low-growing plants produce tall stems of bold flowers, making them perfect for a range of locations across the garden.
Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a beginner, this guide will cover everything you need to know about planting, growing, and caring for anemone flowers.
About Anemones
Anemones, also known as windflowers, produce long-lasting blooms on reaching stems. They are low maintenance, making them ideal for borders, containers, raised beds, and naturalized areas.
Native to Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean, and North America, these sweet flowers are all related to the buttercup.
There are over 200 species of anemones, and they come in all shapes and sizes. In general, their foliage grows low to the ground, and their flowers appear on thin stems poking out above the leaves.
Note: These fast-growing flowers are apt to spread, and some species may be considered invasive. Check with local regulations before planting, and keep the plants contained if you don’t wish for them to spread!
What Do Anemones Look Like?
The flowers themselves are cup-shaped and come in a huge range of colors—blue, pink, purple, red, white, and yellow, just to name a few; some are even multi-colored!
Further on in this guide, you’ll find our “types” section, where you can find out the colors and shapes of individual species.
The delicate flowers are usually just single blooms sitting atop a long and thin stem. Some varieties have slightly frilly-shaped petals; others are more smooth-edged.
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Planting
Choose a spot with well-draining soil that stays evenly moist. Add compost, leaf mold, or aged manure to the soil before planting to improve texture and fertility, if necessary. Anemones don’t like to sit in wet soil (especially in winter), but they will appreciate some moisture during the hottest and driest months of the year.
Anemones will grow best in a location that is mostly sunny but that receives a bit of shade, especially during the middle of the day.
When to Plant Anemones
- In warmer regions (Zones 7 to 9), plant anemones in the fall.
- In cold climates (Zones 4 to 6), plant the tubers in early spring, as they will need to settle in before they can tolerate freezing temperatures.
How to Plant Anemones
- Soak the tubers overnight in tepid water before planting. This will help them get established sooner after planting.
- Plant tubers 3 to 4 inches deep and space them 4 to 6 inches apart.
- Water deeply after planting.
Growing Anemones from Seed
- Propagating anemones from seed is slow and can be very inconsistent, so it is usually only attempted by professionals or dedicated amateurs.
- After the flowers fade and the seed heads dry out, collect the seeds and sow them in an outdoor cold frame with plenty of well-draining soil.
- Only just cover the seeds with soil, and after they sprout, cover with a thick layer of mulch over winter.
- Transplant them in the spring.
Growing
- Anemones usually take at least one growing season to get established, blooming profusely in the following year.
- Keep soil moist (especially in the warmer, drier part of the year), but don’t overwater.
- Add organic mulch around the plants to keep soil moist and suppress weeds.
- Some of the taller, fall-blooming varieties may need staking.
- Deadhead faded flowers to encourage more blooms.
- Fertilize in early spring.
- If you live in colder regions, tubers can be dug up in the fall and stored indoors over the winter. Dry the tubers before placing in a paper bag and storing in a well-ventilated area.
- Divide anemones every 3 to 4 years.
Specific Requirements
These plants are pretty easy to grow and don’t need much attention after you’ve planted them, as long as the following conditions are met:
- Light - make sure these plants get a minimum of 4 hours of sunlight every day.
- Soil - moist, well-drained soil is the best.
- Water - If rainfall is under 1 inch a week, you’ll need to water these plants slowly, allowing the soil time to absorb the water.
- Temperature - very much dependent on the species. They usually like cool temperatures, between 58° and 65°F.
Pruning
- Spring bloomers don’t usually require any pruning; they typically wither away.
- Fall bloomers might look messy after the first frost so you can get rid of dead flowers in early winter.
Propagating
Propagating anemones is an easy process—you simply need to dig up the tubers, divide them, and replant.
Do this once your flowers have died back and become fully dormant. For fall-blooming varieties, this will be in the spring, and the reverse for spring-blooming varieties.
If you don’t want to replant them immediately, you can store them in a cool and dry place until you’re ready to replant.
Types
Spring-blooming Anemones
- Anemone blanda, aka Grecian anemone: This tall variety grows 4 to 8 inches tall in mounds of daisy-like blooms. The flowers bloom in late spring and come in blue, pink, white, magenta, mauve, and bicolor. It’s hardy in Zones 4 to 9.
- Anemone canadensis, aka Canada or meadow anemone, is smaller, growing 1 to 2 feet tall with upward-facing white flowers. It typically blooms from April to June but spreads quickly and can become invasive. This variety is hardy in Zones 3 to 8.
- A. coronaria, aka poppy anemone, is another smaller species, growing 1 to 1.5 feet tall. The single, or sometimes double, large flowers are white, pink, red, or blue, and they are ideally grown in Zones 7 to 10.
- A. coronaria ‘Hollandia’ has bright red flowers with black centers that bloom all spring.
- A. sylvestris, aka snowdrop anemone, grows from 1 to 1.5 feet tall and produces fragrant, single white flowers with yellow stamens. Many species need plenty of light, but this one tolerates shade. It’s a spring bloomer and is hardy in Zones 4 to 8.
Fall-blooming Anemones
- Eriocapitella hupehensis ‘Hadspen Abundance’ reaches 2 to 3 feet tall and produces masses of two-toned, pink single flowers. It blooms from August to September and is hardy in Zones 5-8.
- E. x hybrida (hybrids of Japanese anemone): heights vary with this perennial.
- ‘Whirlwind’: grows 3 to 4 feet tall, has semi-double white flowers with green edges, blooms August to October, and is hardy in Zones 4-8.
- ‘Wild Swan’: grows 1 ½ feet tall with large white flowers with lavender reverse sides. This species has a long bloom time from June to mid-fall and is hardy in Zones 6 to 8.
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Pests and Problems
Anemones don’t suffer from any serious problems; here are a few that you might find your plants suffering from:
- Japanese beetles
- Black blister beetles
- Flea beetles
- Slugs/snails
- Leaf spot
- Powdery mildew
- Rust
- Root rot
Other Problems You Might Experience
- Floppy flowers - you might need to stake taller varieties if they don’t have enough light.
- Holes in the leaves - usually due to slugs and snails.
- Plants died out over winter - there is no solution other than to start again if winter was particularly harsh and cold.
Anemones are pretty easy-going, low-maintenance flowers that don’t require much care and attention from you after planting.
Plant them at the right time of the year, in well-draining soil, and you’ll be rewarded with striking petals in a variety of colors.
Use these flowers to create vibrant displays around the edge of your garden or to brighten up a spot that needs some extra color. Their delicate and graceful flowers won’t fail to disappoint!
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