All About Anemone Flowers

Thought you knew anemone flowers? Think again. So much is happening in the anemone realm to titillate the trade. The color range is increasing to rainbow proportions. And in addition to the sumptuous singles, the prevalence of semi-doubles and doubles is expanding. There’s definitely much ado about anemones right now, and the Levante series from Italy is a major newbie to watch. Not only does the Levante series feature the big, fluffy semi-doubles that novelty-seekers love, the newest and latest puffy Levante Rosa® takes the theme one step further with pompom-like flowers forming a nest of petals in a glistening hue. There’s a lot going on with anemones.

ANEMONE CORONARIA VARIETIES

Our love affair with anemones is long and ardent. For florists, it all started with the tender Anemone coronaria, a member of the buttercup family native to southern European and Mediterranean regions. That species has dominated the cut flower trade since Elizabethan times. By the early 1700s, French and Italian breeders were expanding its traits to increase the color realm. Traditionally, the single de Caen and double St. Brigid series have dominated the scene, but every year sees new introductions, including the Levante series from Italy.

But anemones are truly an international effort with Israeli hybrids (the anemone is the national flower of Israel) vying for the spotlight with French and Italian introductions. And just to get our lingo straight, the colorful crowd-pleasing flower parts that appear to be petals are technically sepals in the anemone clan. Although the rich burgundies and jewel tone deep purples are the traditional wowsers, the more understated nuanced shading of the Mistral and Levante series is gaining popularity. Some cognoscenti predict that demure pastel and champagne-colored shades will be the future superstars on the horizon.

ANEMONE INSIDERS

As a cut flower, anemones are a mainstay with deep roots. Battenfeld’s Anemone Farm in Red Hook, New York is a legendary family-run supplier of the New York wholesale market now in their fourth generation, and their evolution is typical of the anemone’s arc to prominence. Switching their greenhouses to anemones when the demand for violets cooled in the 1950s, Battenfeld’s found its niche and has remained loyal to that crop. Always striving to build a better anemone, the Battenfeld team nurtures anemones grown from seed—cutting 30,000-40,000 anemones weekly during their harvest period of October through the end of May. From seed to flower and replanted annually, the cool weather crop takes approximately eight months to maturity planted directly in greenhouse beds. Battenfeld’s specialty lies with the de Caen hybrids, embracing the full color range. But Fred Battenfeld is particularly proud of what the family has achieved by breeding white anemones. Typically, the whites have a green crown, but Battenfeld’s has worked toward the coveted and trendy black contrasting centers—and they have succeeded.

Also keen on the “just so simply beautiful” singles, grower Kate Swift of Cedar Farm Wholesale in Ghent, New York depends on her anemone crop for early spring sales. She produces her goodies from corms, but the process is not the easy snap start associated with most bulbous plants. A 24-hour circulating water soak is necessary to jumpstart anemone corms before they are planted directly in the ground of Cedar Farm’s hoop house. “And then I keep my fingers crossed,” says Swift. Susceptible to soilborne diseases and prone to aphids (Swift combats these with beneficial insects), anemones can be a wild card. And yet, her customers clamor for them—especially the jewel tones.

If all goes well, the crop is bountiful. There’s a trick to the right moment for anemone harvest. Characteristically, buds form above a frilly collar of leaves that surround the stem. When the flower bud has stretched ½ inch from the ruff of leaves, it’s time to harvest for longest bouquet lifespan. Bred for strong stems, healthy stalks should easily support the glory at their top. After cutting, plunge the stems in cool water. The show can be prolonged by tucking the bouquet into the refrigerator at night—a week of glory is a good run.

JAPANESE ANEMONES AND THE ‘SWANS’

Anemone coronaria is not the only superstar in the family. Anemone japonica (recently reclassified as Eriocapitella japonica), the so-called Japanese anemone (which is actually native to China), is a stellar perennial. A garden staple, hybrids such as the pearly white ‘Honorine Jobert’ (found as a sport in 1858) have been on the scene for centuries.

But thanks to breeders like Elizabeth MacGregor Nursery in Galloway, Scotland, Japanese anemones are also being improved and energized. MacGregor’s anemone story has a wonderful American connection: As a member of the North American Rock Garden Society (NARGS), Elizabeth eagerly takes advantage of their seed exchange. When she found seed of the alpine Anemone rupicola (recently reclassified as Eriocapitella rupicola)—native to Afghanistan and SW China—offered by the NARGS, she ordered a packet. Eventually, the seedlings went to live in the nursery’s walled garden not far from a planting of Japanese anemones. Nature took its course and progeny appeared—with some interesting traits. Although Anemone rupicola typically flowers in late spring with occasional late summer flowers while Japanese anemones blossom in late summer, the “love children” between the two perform from early June through September. Rather than the perhaps-too-vigorous running root system that causes many gardeners to think twice before planting rambunctious Japanese anemones, the seedlings are clump forming and therefore do not spread quickly. Plus, they have impressive vigor and flower wands that stand taller than Anemone rupicola. In short, they took the best traits from their parents.

Elizabeth saw the opportunity to make an incredible plant even better and continued to breed until she came up with the majestic ‘Wild Swan’ in 2011. The fact that ‘Wild Swan’ won first prize at the Chelsea Flower Show that year sums up the warm reception it received, and rightfully so. With ivory-colored sepals backed by a blush of purplish-blue and a much longer blooming stint than either of its parents, ‘Wild Swan’ was a winner and eventually became readily available in this country. But that wasn’t the end. Elizabeth MacGregor Nursery continues to work on their Swan Series with a ruffled version, a dwarf version, and the newest addition to the family, ‘Regal Swan’, which Elizabeth describes as being the most “vigorous and easy to grow” of the group. But in general, all the Swans are tenacious with some shade tolerance and excellent hardiness. Plus, they are all appropriate as cut flowers.

ANEMONE BLANDA

In the perennial garden spectrum, there’s another superstar in the family with the windflower, Anemone blanda, native from SE Europe through to W. Syria. A mainstay sold widely as corms, this quaint spring groundcover blossoms in an array of pastel purples, pinks, mauve, and cream synchronized to perform when the first perennials are popping up.

NATIVE ANEMONE FLOWERS

Anemones also go native. Uli Lorimer of the Native Plant Trust applauds the role that anemones and their close kin play in our ecosystems. In the legendary department, there’s the ultra-early blooming hepatica, formerly known as Anemone acutiloba (recently reclassified as Hepatica americana var. acuta), providing forage when insects are first flying in spring (and hepatica flowers only open in sunny weather, when insects are typically flying). A hepatica cluster can easily brandish 30-50 flowers, much to pollinators’ delight, while ants disperse the seeds after the flower show is over.

Lesser known is the native Anemone quinquefolia, the wild wood anemone, a groundcover that blossoms briefly early in the season. 

For flower arrangers, Uli Lorimer suggests thimbleweeds Anemone virginiana and A. cylindrica—potentially valuable for their thimble-like seedpods that linger after the fluffy seeds have dispersed.

On another note, there’s Anemone canadensis (recently reclassified as Anemonastrum canadense). Extremely energetic, this native can quickly spread perhaps too prolifically in the garden, although it services a whole range of pollinators and might be just the ticket to cover ground (perhaps abutting pavement for containment) where nothing else will survive.

Basically, it’s hard not to like anemones for every reason and throughout the growing season. They’re gorgeous, they’re valuable, and they enhance our lives. Plus, they continue to dazzle with a steady stream of new introductions stealing the spotlight. It’s hard to imagine that any blossom could rival Levante Rosa—but wait a year and keep your finger on the pulse. There will be something to cause palpitations—guaranteed.

By Tovah Martin

MORE ABOUT ANEMONES

• Introducing Our 2025 Flower of the Year!

• 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
• Anemone Fun Facts and Folklore
• Video: A Study in Coral and Blush