perennial anemone

Anemone or anemone is a perennial plant from the Buttercup family. The genus consists of approximately 150 species and under natural conditions is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, except for the tropics. Anemones mostly grow in the temperate zone, but some of the most beautiful came to us from the Mediterranean. Nine species live beyond the Arctic Circle, and 50 live in the countries of the former Soviet Union.

The name “anemone” is translated from Greek as “daughter of the wind.” The flower is revered in many countries, many legends are built around it. It is believed that it was the anemones that grew in the place of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, right under the cross. Esotericists claim that anemone symbolizes sadness and the transience of life.

This is a very beautiful flower, and thanks to its species diversity, it can satisfy every taste. Plants differ greatly in appearance and requirements for growing conditions. Early spring anemones are quite different from those that bloom in autumn.

General description of anemones

Anemones are herbaceous perennials with a fleshy rhizome or tuber. Depending on the species, they can reach a height of 10 to 150 cm. Anemone leaves are most often palmately dissected or separate. Sometimes flower stalks grow from a basal rosette, which is absent in some species. The color of the leaves can be green or grayish, in cultivars – silvery.

Anemone flowers are solitary or collected in groups in loose umbrellas. Coloring in natural species is often white or pink, blue, blue, rarely red. Varieties and hybrids, especially those of the crown anemone, amaze with a variety of shades. Symmetrical flowers in natural species are simple, with 5-20 petals. Cultural forms can be terry and semi-double.

After flowering, small fruits are formed in the form of nuts, naked or pubescent. They have poor germination. Most often, anemones reproduce vegetatively – rhizomes, offspring and tubers. Many species require shelter for the winter or even digging and storage in cold weather at positive temperatures.

Among anemones there are shade-loving, shade-tolerant, and preferring bright lighting. Many are used as ornamental plants in landscape design, the crown anemone is grown for cutting, the buttercup and oak anemone are grown for the manufacture of medicines.

Classification by type of rhizome and flowering period

Of course, all 150 species will not be listed here. We will break down into groups anemones, most often grown as cultivated plants, or involved in the creation of hybrids. Photos of flowers will complement their brief description.

Early flowering rhizome anemones

Ephemeroid anemones bloom first. They bloom after the snow melts, and when the buds wither, the aerial part dries out. They have a very short growing season, ephemeroids grow on forest edges and have long, jointed rhizomes. Flowers are usually solitary. These include anemones:

• Dubravnaya. Height up to 20 cm, flowers are white, rarely greenish, cream, pink, lilac. Often found in deciduous forests of Our Country. There are several garden forms.

  

• Lutichnaya. This anemone grows up to 25 cm. Its flowers really look like a buttercup and are yellow in color. Garden forms can be terry, with purple leaves.

  

• Altai. Reaches 15 cm, The flower contains 8-12 white petals, which may have a bluish color on the outside.

  

• Smooth. A rather ordinary anemone, stands out with large stamens inside white flowers.

  

• Ural. Pink flowers bloom in late spring.

  

• Blue. The height of the plant is about 20 cm, the color of the flowers is white or blue.

  

Tuberous anemones

Tuberous anemones bloom a little later. These are the most beautiful representatives of the genus with a short growing season:

• crowned. The most beautiful, capricious and thermophilic of all anemones. Grown for cutting, decorates flower beds. Garden forms can reach 45 cm in height. The poppy-like flowers can be single or double, in a variety of colors, bright or pastel, even two-tone. This anemone is used as a forcing plant.

  

• Gentle (Blanda). Cold hardy anemone. It is photophilous, resistant to drought, grows up to 15 cm, has many garden forms with different colors of flowers.

  

• Sadovaya. Flowers of this species reach a size of 5 cm, bushes – 15-30 cm. It is distinguished by openwork foliage and a variety of colors of cultural forms. Anemone tubers are dug up for the winter.

  

• Caucasian. Anemone height 10-20 cm, blue flowers. This is a cold-resistant plant that prefers sunny places and moderate watering.

  

• Apennine. Anemone about 15 cm high with single blue flowers 3 cm in diameter. Cold-resistant species wintering in the ground.

  

Autumn windswept

Anemones, whose flowers bloom in late summer – early autumn, are usually separated into a separate group. They are all rhizomatous, tall, unlike other species. The flowers of autumn anemones are collected in loose racemose inflorescences. They are easy to care for, the main thing is that the plant survives the transplant. These include windmills:

• Japanese. The species anemone grows up to 80 cm, the varieties rise by 70-130 cm. The gray-green pinnately dissected leaves may seem rough, but they are softened by simple or semi-double elegant flowers in pastel shades collected in groups.

  

• Hubei. Under natural conditions, it grows up to 1,5 m, garden forms are bred so that the plant does not exceed 1 m. The leaves of the anemone are dark green in color, the flowers are smaller than those of the previous species.

  

• Grapevine. This anemone is rarely grown as a garden plant, more often used to create new hybrids. Her leaves are very large, can reach 20 cm and have not 3, but 5 lobes.

  

• Felt. The most winter-hardy of the autumn anemones. It grows up to 120 cm, differs in fragrant flowers of pink shades.

  

• hybrid. The most beautiful of autumn anemones. This variety is artificially created from the above anemones. It can have a bright color and large single or semi-double flowers.

  

It should be said here that the Japanese and Hubei anemones are often considered the same species. There is no agreement on this issue even among scientists, since they differ slightly. It is believed that the Hubei anemone came to Japan around the time of the Tang Dynasty in China, over the millennium adapted to local conditions and changed. This is probably very interesting for narrow specialists, but it is enough for us to know that these anemones look great in the garden and do not require much care.

Anemones that form root offspring

These anemones are the easiest to propagate. Their growing season is extended for the whole season, and root suckers are easy to transplant, minimally injuring the mother bush. This group includes anemones:

• Lesnaya. Primrose height from 20 to 50 cm. Large flowers up to 6 cm in diameter are white. Grows well in partial shade. In culture since the XIV century. There are garden forms with double or large flowers up to 8 cm in diameter.

  

• Forked. This anemone grows in water meadows, can reach 30-80 cm. Its deeply dissected leaves are pubescent from below, small white flowers can have a reddish tint on the back of the petal.

  

Anemones of North America

Anemones, whose natural range is North America, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands, are usually distinguished into a separate group. They are rare in our country, although they look very attractive and are distinguished by long flowering. These are anemones:

• Multiseps (multi-headed). The birthplace of the flower is Alaska. It is rare in culture and resembles a tiny backache.

  

• Multifida (multi-cut). Anemone is so named because its foliage looks like a backache. By the end of spring, pale yellow flowers 1-2 cm in diameter with green stamens appear. Absolutely does not tolerate transplants, propagated by seeds. Widely used in the creation of hybrids.

  

• Canadian. This anemone blooms all summer, its leaves are long, white star-flowers rise 60 cm above the ground.

  

• Spherical. Its range extends from Alaska to California. The anemone grows up to 30 cm, the color of the flowers is from lettuce to purple. It got its name from the round fruits.
• Drumoda. This anemone grows in the same vast area as the previous species. Its height is 20 cm, white flowers on the underside are painted in green or blue.

  

• Narcissus flower (beam). It blooms in summer, reaches a height of 40 cm. It grows well on calcareous soil. The flower of this anemone really looks like a lemon or yellowish white narcissus. Widely used in landscape design.

  

• Parviflora (small-flowered). Grows from Alaska to Colorado in mountain meadows and slopes. The leaves of this anemone are very beautiful, dark green, shiny. Solitary cream flowers are small.

  

• Oregon. In spring, blue flowers appear on a bush about 30 cm high. Anemone differs in that it has a single basal leaf and three on the stem. Garden forms are colored differently, there are dwarf varieties.

  

• Richardson. A very beautiful anemone, an inhabitant of the mountainous Alaska. A bright yellow flower on a miniature bush 8-15 cm high is suitable for rocky gardens.

  

Anemone Care Basics

What you need to know when caring for an anemone?

1. All species grow well in partial shade. The exception is tuberous anemones, they need more sun. Early spring epiphytes are shade-loving.
2. The soil must be water and breathable.
3. Acidic soils are not suitable for anemones; they need to be deoxidized with ash, lime or dolomite flour.
4. When planting tuberous anemones, remember that heat-loving species need to be dug up for the winter. Until October, they are stored at a temperature of about 20 degrees, then it is reduced to 5-6.

   

5. In the spring, the anemone is watered once a week. In hot, dry summers, it will be necessary to moisten the soil in a flower bed with crown anemone daily.
6. It is best to transplant the anemone in the spring or after flowering.
7. Digging up anemones that do not hibernate in the ground must be completed before their above-ground part disappears.
8. Stagnation of moisture at the roots is unacceptable.
9. The crown anemone needs more food than other species.

   

10. Anemones blooming in autumn are less capricious than other species.
11. Anemones have brittle roots. Even easy-care plants do not grow well the first season, but then they quickly gain green mass and grow.
12. Anemones must be weeded by hand. It is impossible to loosen the soil under them – this will damage the fragile root.
13. It is best to immediately mulch the planting of anemones with dry humus. It will retain moisture, impede the path of weeds to the light and serve as an organic top dressing.
14. It is best to cover even anemones wintering in the ground in autumn with peat, humus or dry leaves. The layer of mulch should be thicker the further north your region is.

Conclusion

Anemones are beautiful flowers. There are unpretentious species that are suitable for a low-maintenance garden, and there are capricious ones, but so beautiful that it is impossible to take your eyes off them. Choose the ones that suit your taste.