ANEMONE. Windflower. Widespread, mostly Northern Hemisphere. Nearly every gardener is familiar with these buttercup relatives by way of A. coronaria, whose hybrids are widely available in the fall bulb market. Yet their number includes many other showy perennials with beautiful leaves and large flowers. The leaves are mostly basal, often long-stalked and variously lobed or dissected. The flowers are usually elevated, singly or in small clusters, on sparsely leafy stalks. They have five to many petal-like segments which vary in hue from snow white to deep red or purple. At their centers are dense, sometimes colorful brushes of stamens. Most anemones are deciduous during some part of the year, or nearly so. Cultural requirements vary somewhat, though nearly all selections listed below are hardy to 0^oF. or below.

hupehensis var. japonica. Japanese anemone. One of the easiest to grow, Japanese anemone multiplies freely and may self-seed to become almost a pest. It bears attractive maple-like basal leaves on long stalks in spring and summer, and branched stems carrying many beautiful 2-3" blossoms in fall. ‘Alba‘ has pure white single blossoms on 3-5’ stems. ‘Margarette’ is distinguished by semidouble rose pink blossoms on 2’ stems. `September Charm’ displays single, broadly parted blossoms on 18" stems. They combine lighter and darker pink shades. Full sun near the coast, part shade inland, most soils.

x hybrida. A series of hybrids between A. hupehensis var. japonica, above, and A. vitifolia. It is a more robust version of the Japanese anemone, with larger leaves and taller stems, and has the same cultural requirements. ‘Alice’ has large, soft pink blossoms. ‘Honorine Jobert’ is an ancient selection but still one of the best, with large, single white blossoms. ‘Prince Henry’ (more properly `Prince Heinrich’) has deep, purplish red semi-double flowers. Also semi-double in form are ‘Queen Charlotte’, shaded light pink, and ‘Whirlwind’, pure white. Other, similar selections abound. All have a long blooming season and carry many blossoms on each stem, 3’ or more tall.

magellanica. Chile and Argentina. A little-known but charming anemone. It is under 1’ in height and has dark, softly shiny 3-5 lobed leaves. The flowers are borne for several weeks in summer and early fall. They measure about an inch across and are colored a soft, creamy yellow like that of our native cream cups (Platystemon).

pulsatilla. Pasque flower. Quite distinct from the last, this species forms tight, low clumps. Silky, dissected leaves appear with or immediately following 2-3" blossoms, carried on individual stems in spring. We grow the typical species, with lavender-blue flowers, and the varieties alba, with pure white flowers, and rubra, with maroon flowers. Difficult except near the coast and at high elevations, for it requires a combination of sun, relatively cool temperatures, well drained soil, and moderate watering.

rivularis. Himalaya. This species makes compact clumps from a woody rootstock, with stems rising 1½-3’. The basal leaves are long-stalked and three-parted, with sharp, narrow lobes. Their surface is attractively dark and glossy. In late spring and much of the summer it carries abundant 1" flowers above the leaves in broad, branched sprays. They are snow-white within, tinged with blue on their outer surface. This species needs plenty of moisture and some shading away from the coast. It is hardy to 10^oF. or less.

sylvestris. Snowdrop anemone. An old-fashioned garden plant, now little known in California. It spreads by underground rhizomes—not as rampantly as A. h. japonica—to form a loose carpet. The deeply parted leaves form an attractive foil for 1" nodding, fragrant pure white blossoms displayed from late spring to fall. Light shade except along the coast, well drained soil, moderate to regular watering.