Gardening Guides
Great Design Plant: Japanese Anemone
This autumn bloomer's showy white blossoms add spark to your late-season plant mix
By fall, most people have resigned themselves to saying goodbye to blooms in their perennial gardens until spring. However, there are many choices for fall flowers beyond chrysanthemums. The Japanese anemone is a beautiful plant that provides abundant foliage throughout spring and summer, then explodes with tall white flowers in the fall. Whether you're planting them in a clump, lining a fence or adding white blossoms to the fall garden, these beauties are worth looking into.
Distinguishing traits: What separates this anemone from so many others is that it's a fall bloomer, providing rare white flowers after many other summer blooms have died. Some variations and hybrids have flowers in a range of pinks and lavender.
The base of deep green trifoliate leaves adds foliage to the garden through spring and summer, while the tall blooms add flowers at 3 to 4 feet high.
The flowers themselves are exquisite. White sepals surround a circle of yellow stamens.
The base of deep green trifoliate leaves adds foliage to the garden through spring and summer, while the tall blooms add flowers at 3 to 4 feet high.
The flowers themselves are exquisite. White sepals surround a circle of yellow stamens.
How to use it: Japanese anemones can be mixed carefully into a perennial garden to provide fall flowers. They also add white blooms to a colorful fall flower mix.
The plant also works well in a cottage garden, especially along a picket fence. It looks great in large clumps — just remember that these clumps will be flower free all summer.
Anemones also have a delicate and exotic look that makes them perfect for Asian-style gardens. They are a good choice for rock gardens and gardens along woodland edges.
Planting notes: Anemones need fertile, well-drained soil and thrive best when they receive morning sun and at least some afternoon shade.
• Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Dig a hole that is the same depth as the container.
• Shake soil from the plant loose and place the plant gently in the hole.
• Add soil to fill.
• Water the plant — soil should be kept moist but not wet.
• Mulch around the plant to help keep the soil moist.
• Space plants 18 to 24 inches apart.
• Dig a hole that is the same depth as the container.
• Shake soil from the plant loose and place the plant gently in the hole.
• Add soil to fill.
• Water the plant — soil should be kept moist but not wet.
• Mulch around the plant to help keep the soil moist.
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Common name: Japanese or Chinese anemone
USDA zones: 4 to 8 (find your zone)
Water requirement: Needs moist but well-drained soil
Light requirement: Full sun to partial shade. The farther south you are, the more shade they need, and vice versa.
Mature size: 1 to 5 feet high
Benefits and tolerances: Can survive cold winters
Seasonal interest: The base of the plant has lovely leaves from late spring through summer, then the white flowers bloom in autumn.
When to plant: Early fall or spring after the last frost