Anemones are native to many European countries, North America and Japan. They have 120 species with three main types: Spring flowering, Tuberous Mediterranean and Fall flowering.
Spring flowering anemones are so-called because they bloom in spring. Tuberous Mediterranean anemones bloom during the spring and summer while Fall flowering anemones bloom in late summer to fall and have fibrous roots.
Types
1. Blue Shades (Anemone blanda)
This is a stunning, daisy-like flower with lilac-purple petals and beautiful foliage. A low-growing plant, it has won several international flower awards and looks beautiful when planted in groups of 20 or more. Impressive in containers and garden beds, the Blue Shades does best in full sun and moist soil.
2. Bressingham Glow (Anemone hupehensis)
With deep rose-pink petals and beautiful yellow centers, this flower provides many weeks of color starting in late-Summer. It is resistant to most pests and diseases, and rabbits and deer stay away from it, too. Growing up to an eye-catching 3 feet in height, the flower does best with mulch if you live in a cold area, and it also naturalizes easily.
3. Chinese Anemone (tuberous)
The Chinese anemones are usually pink, dark-rose, or some shade in between, and they grow single- or semi-double blooms. They get up to 3 feet in height, and they are real lookers in any yard.
4. Dreaming Swan
These semi-double flowers have petals that are tinged pink and fade to white, with an underside that has lavender-blue bands on it. Getting up to 2 feet high, the Dreaming Swan is a very long-running perennial that blooms from early-Summer to early-Fall and looks stunning in borders and coastal gardens. The flowers are resistant to rabbits and deer, and will thrive as long as they are planted in full sun or partial shade.
5. Elegans (Anemone x hybrida)
This flower is a bit unique because it is pale pinkish-white in color and has light-yellow centers. It blooms from late-Summer through the Fall and has been the recipient of several international flower awards. With a long blooming time, these gorgeous blooms will demand attention, but take note it does better in full sun and moist but well-drained soil.
6. Grecian Windflower (tuberous)
With a thick mat of fuzzy leaves, this type of anemone comes in colors that can include sky-blue, white, reddish-purple, or pink, and they usually grow 10-12 inches high.
7. Hadspen Abundance (Anemone hupehensis)
This flower has cup-shaped petals in carmine pink-red and dark-green foliage. It blooms from late-Summer through the Fall and does best in full sun and well-drained soil. It is deer- and rabbit-resistant, and it looks stunning in containers and vases.
8. Hollandia (Anemone coronaria)
With beautiful red petals that are white towards the center and have a dark middle, this is a cheery-looking flower that will quickly catch your attention. They get up to 16 inches high and have broad petals and bright-green foliage. Blooming in late-Spring to early-Summer, it looks extraordinary in vases and containers, not to mention borders.
9. Honorine Jobert (Anemone x hybrida)
A very cheery-looking flower, its wide petals are bright-white and frame stunning yellow centers. The flower is low-maintenance and easy to grow, which is one of the reasons it has won several international flower awards. It also grows up to 4 feet tall and 2 feet in width, and it looks stunning in coastal or cottage gardens.
10. Japanese (Hybrid) Anemone (non-tuberous)
Getting up to 4 feet in height, these flowers have fuzzy leaves in a dark-green color and petals that come in colors such as rose, pink, or white. These petals are single- or double-bloom and are cup-shaped, making them quite elegant.
11. Königin Charlotte (Anemone x hybrida)
A well-behaved and low-maintenance flower, this variety is soft-pink in color with yellow centers and dark-colored leaves. It is unpalatable to rabbits and deer, and it loves full sun and moist but well-drained soil. It has won several international flower awards and is resistant to most diseases and pests, making it a perfect addition to anyone’s garden.
12. Meadow Anemone (non-tuberous)
Native to the United States, these anemones are small and have white centers, and they produce flowers in groups of two to three petals in the Spring and early-Summer. They can also grow up to 2 feet high.
13. Mr. Fokker (Anemone coronaria de Caen)
The Mr. Fokker has blue-violet, soft petals that are broad and eye-catching, as well as dark centers that perfectly complement the petals themselves. A lover of sun and well-drained soil, this flower looks beautiful in containers and vases, as well as borders and beds.
14. Pamina (Anemone hupehensis var Japonica)
The winner of several international flower awards, the Pamina boasts deep-rose, cup-shaped flowers and dark-green, vine-like foliage. The contrasting color of its bright-yellow centers make it truly outstanding, and it blooms from late-Summer through the Fall. Beautiful in prairies and meadows, the flower is tolerant, sturdy, and long-lasting.
15. Pocahontas (Anemone hupehensis)
With double-blooms and ruffled petals, this flower is bubblegum-pink in color and has bright-yellow centers. It grows up to 18 inches high and looks great in meadows and prairies. Blooming from mid-Summer to early-Fall, the Pocahontas naturalizes to form colonies and is a stunning addition to anyone’s garden.
16. Praecox (Anemone hupehensis)
Great for borders and cottage gardens, this flower has petals of deep pink and leaves that are deeply divided and dark-green in color. A salt-tolerant flower, it is virtually free of various diseases and pests, and it looks beautiful both in vases and when grown containers. When given moist and rich soil it will reach more than 4 feet tall.
17. Prinz Heinrich (Anemone hupehensis)
This variety looks great in containers and vases, and its deep rose-pink color stands out among the other flowers in the garden. Its hue is further complemented by its dark-green, elegant foliage, and it gets up to an exquisite 28 inches in height. It also naturalizes and makes a great specimen plant.
18. Robustissima (Anemone tomentosa)
A rather unique flower, this plant has soft-pink petals with a white trim and yellow center, and it blooms from late-Summer through the Fall. It looks beautiful in vases and containers, and rabbits and deer stay away from it. It is also salt-resistant.
Take note: Anemone tomentosa should never be ingested by humans or animals.
19. Rosenschale (Anemone x hybrida)
With large, semi-double petals that are cupped and soft-pink on the inside with a darker pink on the underside, this flower looks stunning in coastal or cottage gardens, as well as containers and vases. It grows up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet in width, and it blooms from late-Summer through the Fall, so you can enjoy its look for a very long time.
20. Scarlet Windflower (tuberous)
Like its name suggests, this flower has petals that are deep-red and have dark centers as a contrast. They can also come in pink or rust, and they typically get up to 12 inches in height.
21. September Charm (Anemone x hybrida)
The September Charm has petals that are slightly cupped and a silver-pink in color, including a darker pink on the backside. It also has striking yellow centers on blooms that open from late-Summer through the Fall. The winner of several international flower awards, this flower looks beautiful in vases and containers, and it easily naturalizes to form clumps.
22. Serenade (Anemone x hybrida)
Getting up to an impressive 40 inches in height, the flower has stunning dark-green foliage and rosy-pink flowers with bright-yellow centers. It looks beautiful when planted with other perennial plants, and it is salt- and deer-resistant. Growing best in moist soil and full sun, the Serenade looks outstanding in containers and vases.
23. Snowdrop Anemone (non-tuberous)
These flowers are native to Europe and are white with bright-yellow centers. They smell sweet, which is unusual for this type of flower. Their blooms are large and get up to 3 inches across, and they can be double-petaled or even larger.
24. Splendens (Anemone hupehensis var Japonica)
With dark, wiry stems, this flower has petals of beautiful deep-pink that offset centers of yellow and black, and it is both low-maintenance and easy to grow. Better when planted in moist soils and kept in the sun, this is one flower that is truly eye-catching, thanks to the contrasting colors it offers and the fact that it can grow as high as 32 inches.
25. The Bride (Anemone coronaria)
This flower has broad white petals and a cheery yellow center, and it blooms in late-Spring and early-Summer. It needs well-drained soil and full sun to thrive, but in general it is easy to grow and low-maintenance. A dramatic flower, The Bride brings cheerfulness to gardens of all sizes and types.
26. Whirlwind (Anemone x hybrida)
With semi-double blooms that get up to 4 inches in width, this flower has beautiful white petals and yellow centers, not to mention vine-like, dark-green foliage. It is resistant to most pests and diseases, but if you live in a place that gets cool in the Winter, adding mulch to the soil is highly recommended.
27. White Splendor (Anemone blanda)
This flower has beautiful white petals and bright-yellow centers on stems that grow about 6 inches tall. They do best in zones 4-8, and they look spectacular when planted around shrubs and woody trees. After flowering, the plant becomes dormant, and it is also resistant to rabbits and deer.
28. Wild Swan
The Wild Swan has pure-white petals that span up to 4 inches wide and have blue bands on the undersides. It blooms from late-Spring to the first frost, and it looks beautiful in vases or containers. It is also salt-tolerant, has won numerous international flower awards, and it is a low-maintenance flower, to boot.
29. Wood Anemone (non-tuberous)
Native to Europe, these anemones are stunning and have star-shaped petals that usually come in colors such as white, pale-pink, or blue. They grow to 12 inches high and have tiny petals that bloom in the Spring, which are complemented by beautiful, deeply lobed leaves.
Facts About Anemone Flowers
- Over 100 species of anemone flowers have been identified throughout the world. The anemone is a perennial plant that grows from tubers but once they flower, they are technically in the category of herbs. The anemone flower can be blue, deep-red, white, and yellow.
- The main characteristic of the anemone flower is its showiness, because this is one flower you will always notice in the garden, regardless of what is surrounding it. It has no scent and no nectar, so the bees ignore it, which means it has to rely on other insects for pollination. Its buttercup-like blooms open up when it’s sunny and bright outside but turn facing the earth when it’s dark or nighttime. They do this to keep rain from dripping on the heads, which can have undeveloped seed pods inside them.
- The anemone is also called the windflower. In fact, the Greek word anemos stands for wind, which is why this is so. Of course, the flower doesn’t enjoy a romantic or reputable name in all parts of the world; in China, for example, the name is translated to mean flower of death, while in Egypt they compare the flower to illness or sickness. In Rome, however, the anemone flowers were often placed in talismans as a method of relieving and preventing fevers, so they do enjoy some celebrity and good will.
- When it comes to medicinal purposes, the anemone flower can either heal or hurt. One of its varieties, the anemone nemorosa, is highly poisonous and should be avoided by both humans and animals. On the other hand, the anemone pulsatilla can be placed in a tincture and used for pain, most notably menstrual cramps. When you use it for this purpose, you can use the entire plant, including the petals, stems, and leaves.
- The anemone is also known as the crowfoot or smell fox, and for many people it is one of the first signs that Spring has arrived. Its star-shaped flowers grow profusely and can produce a beautiful blanket of blooms, giving any garden a lusher and more stunning look.
- Although anemones can grow to different heights and in different colors, they all have certain things in common, such as they are:
- Able to grow strong in zones 4-8
- Low-maintenance
- Able to grow in soil that is chalky, sandy, loamy, or filled with clay
- Best grown in full sun or partial shade
- Tolerant of deer, pests, rabbits, wet soil, and diseases
- Attractive to butterflies
- Stunning in cottage gardens, country gardens, vases, containers, and as borders
- Harmful if ingested or even touched, although this doesn’t apply to all varieties
- Able to grow up to 4 feet high and 3 feet in width
