With its vibrantly colored blossoms ranging from purest whites and blush pinks to brilliant purples and flaming scarlets, the anemone has been enchanting people for more than 2,000 years.
Photo by virtu studio | Shutterstock
The flowers are believed to have originated in the regions of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. Anemone coronaria (aka crown anemones or poppy anemones) can still be found growing wild in the Eastern Mediterranean region, notably in Greece, Southern Turkey, Syria, and Israel. The plants have been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, are noted in the writings of Pliny the Elder, and were fashionable in England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Anemone Flower’s Common Names
Anemones are commonly known as windflowers and are associated with the arrival of spring breezes. The name comes from the Greek “ánemos” (wind) and “ṓnē” (daughter of), translating to “daughter of the wind.”
Photo by Kavram | Shutterstock
Another common name for anemones is ‘lily of the field.’ Because the flowers, known as kalanit in Hebrew, were familiar at the time of Christ, they are traditionally associated with a reference in the Christian Beatitudes. The verse from Matthew 6 asks, “And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”
Can Anemone Flowers Predict the Weather?
Video by Ruiruito | Shutterstock
This time-lapse image shows an anemone flower opening and closing in response to temperature.
Anemone flowers open and close in response to temperature and light. This habit has given them a reputation for being able to predict rain. Traditions say that when anemones close their flowers, a storm is coming. There is some truth in this given that the flowers can close with dropping temps and cloudy skies.
Anemone Flower Symbolism
Their opening and closing gives anemones a seemingly fickle nature. In the language of flowers, they have conflicting symbolic meanings. Their early spring arrival signals anticipation and expectation, while their closing blooms can suggest estrangement and being forsaken. This tension is also reflected in the flowers’ folklore. In The Complete Language of Flowers: A Definitive and Illustrated History (Wellfleet Press, 2020), author S. Theresa Dietz shares, “Some legends claim that the wind that passes over anemone flowers to open closed petals will be the same wind to blow the dead petals off of others.”
Photo by Lerner Vadim | Shutterstock
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite caused red anemones to spring up from her killed lover Adonis's blood.
Perhaps the most famous legend of the anemone comes from the tragic tale of Aphrodite and Adonis in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. In the myth, Aphrodite, goddess of love and beauty, falls for the mortal Adonis. While hunting, Adonis is killed by a wild boar, and Aphrodite caused brilliant, red flowers to spring up from her lost lover’s blood. This story gives the blossoms their association with the fragility of life, but also sincerity and abiding love, the latter making the flower a popular choice for weddings.
Anemone Flower Pollinators
Photo by Keith 316 | Shutterstock
Pollinators love anemones! Their wide-open flowers and pollen-loaded anthers attract butterflies, hummingbirds, hoverflies, and bees—especially bumble bees. As one of the first flowers to bloom in late winter and early spring, anemones are a welcome addition to the garden for honeybees. Fall-blooming Japanese anemones are especially welcome to bees as other garden flowers begin to fade.
Anemone Flower ‘Eyes’
Photo by Weruu | Shutterstock
Anemone de Caen Sylphide
Photo by Voinakh | Shutterstock
Photo by Salwa Afef | Shutterstock
Photo by Ian Grainger | Shutterstock
One of the most popular anemone forms has white petals and a striking black center, giving them the nickname of ‘panda’ anemones. The flower’s ‘eye’ is made up of a prominent, central mound of pistils encircled by a ring of stamens. While the distinctive, black-centered blossoms are the most showy, not all anemones have black eyes. Varieties of the flowers can have black, white, green, or yellow eyes.
By Jason Burnett
MORE ABOUT THE 2025 FLOWER OF THE YEAR AND ANEMONES
- A Muse in Bloom: Lewis Miller and Sybil Sylvester Create Arrangements with Levante Rosa Anemones
- Blush Crush: We’re seeing this soft shade of pink in the Flower of the Year plus furniture and accessories.
- Video: How to Make our March/April 2025 Cover Arrangement
- Arranging Anemone Flowers
- Video: A Study in Coral and Blush
- Anemone Varieties for the Garden
