CARE. Any ordinary soil with drainage. Sunny, open location. Plant in spring or fall six to eight inches apart.
PROPAGATION. Seeds in fall, division of roots in spring.
SPECIAL USES. Rock gardens, borders, dry walls, pavements, edging, carpet for bulbs, ground cover.
Anemone Ranunculaceae Windflower
One of the earliest to bloom in the spring, it has lacy leaves and colorful flowering saucers not made up of petals but of sepals (leaves that encircle the flowers at the base).
apennina—Tuberous species six or seven inches high with deeply cut leaves; arrives in March with bright, sky-blue flowers. Variety alba has white flowers; purpurea, rich lavender-rose.
blanda—Resembles apennina but is slightly larger and has darker flowers.
nemorosa—European wood anemone—Similiar to American forms. Variety alleni has lavender flowers. Variety rosea, pink.
palmata—Six-inch dwarf with whorls of leathery leaves, golden-white flowers in May or June. The flowers of the variety albida are heavenly white with gold centers.
pulsatilla—pasque flower—A more robust alpine growing to eight inches tall. Hardy even in Maine rock gardens. Flowers are purple-blue bells that come early and last as long as the weather is cool. Its finely cut leaves are softened with silky hairs. Other varieties are alba, white; rubra, plum red; and camla, silvery lilac surrounded by white.