Description
Anemone – Windflower
There are about 120 species of variable perennials and annuals from a wide range of habitats in temperate regions in the southern hemisphere, but most derive from the Northern hemisphere especially Asia, in this genus. These rhizomatous fleshly or fibrous rootstock bear ground-hugging plants divided into three main groups:
–Spring flowering species with tubers or rhizomes which are found in woodland and alpine pastures that can be divided in summer when dormant
–Spring or early summer flowering tuberous perennial thriving in hot dry summers like the Mediterranean and Central Asia and can be divided in summer when leaves have died down
–Late summer to autumn flowering herbaceous species with fibrous roots occurring in moist open woodland and grassy sites and can be divided in early spring or autumn.
Most bear both basal and stem leaves. The basal tuft leaves are rounded to oval 3-7 palmate or palmately lobed, with mid to dark green leaflets and lobes are often shallowly to deeply dissected or toothed and can be hairless or hairy. Smaller stalkless or short stalked stem leaves are often produced in groups of three or more arising from a single point beneath the flowers.
They bear starry or bowl or saucer shape flowers each with a central boss of stamens borne in cymes or umbels on branched or un-branched stems.
Cultivating Anemones have varying requirements: Grow in moist fertile humus rich soil in sun or partial shade
Given the right conditions and left undisturbed it will form wonderful carpets and some species can become invasive. Contact with sap may irritate skin
Prone to Synchytrium leaf galls, downy mildew, leaf and stem smut, Septoria leaf spot, powdery mildew, rust, nematodes, caterpillars, slugs and flea beetles.
Anemone vitifolia – Grape-leaved Anemone – This clump forming perennial found from Afghanistan to Western China grows 3’ feet tall and can spread indefinitely. From a woody based fibrous rootstock sprouts oval shallowly 5 lobed vine like dark green basal and stem leaves 4-8” long, the lobes are noticeable toothed and sparsely covered with white woolly underside. In late summer and early autumn it bears loose umbels of 3-7 white flowers 1 ¼-3 ½” wide with 5 or 6 tepals are borne.
Zones 5-8
