Perennial Anemone Flowers

Anemones are perennial herbs in the genus Anemone and the family ranunculaceae.  There is about one hundred twenty species in the genus.  Sometimes they are referred to as windflowers.

Root Types
The roots of anemones can be a rhizome, corm, tuber or caudex.  A caudex is another type of stem water storage unit that can be located above or below ground level.  The Anemone coronaria, which is also called the poppy anemone, has tuberous roots.  Anemone De Caen is grown from corms.  The Anemone canadensis grows from a rhizome.

De Caen and Poppy Anemone
The De Caen and poppy are couple of popular anemones for the gardens.  These anemones can be also be forced to bloom indoors during the winter.  The flower blooms are available in several colors. They can be white or in shades of red, purple, and blue.  The center of the flowers is most often black, and they can have as many as a hundred stamens.  Anemones are also available in double varieties.  Some anemone flowers resemble poppy flowers.

Foilage
The leaves of anemone plants can resemble parsley leaves, look fern like or have a lacy look.  On many anemones the leaves will begin at ground level.  Then as the flower begins to bloom, the stems will grow in height under the leaves.  This will in turn lift the leaves upward on the stem.  The leaves then appear to grow about half way up the stem.

Uses
Anemones look nice in borders, and they make good naturalizing flower bulbs.  They are also very nice when used in a cut flower arrangement.  Some species can grow two feet tall, where others will only reach five inches tall. 

Planting Anemones
Some types of anemone flowers are planted in the spring. Others are planted in the fall. Anemones that are planted in the fall will bloom early in the spring. The spring planted bulbs will bloom in June or August.  Anemone plants are adaptable to many types of soil as long as it drains well.  Anemones do best when they grow in full sun during the morning hours, then in the shade during the hot afternoons.  Depending on the species, anemones are hardy between zones five and ten.

Anemone bulbs from Nature Hills Nursery

Anemone bulbs from Burgess Seed & Plant Co.