Friday, January 11, 2008

Japanese Anemone

Japanese Anemone
Anemone x hybrida 'Whirlwind'
(uh-NEM-oh-nee)
Synonyms: Japanese Windflower, Japanese Thimbleflower

This is another great perennial for the late summer or fall border. The beautiful semi-double flowers are held high above the foliage (which sometimes can get a little ratty) on wiry stems. This is considered a semi-double form that grows to about 2 to 3 feet. Most nurseries classify this as a deer resistant perennial but I have had mine eaten before when the feeding pressure is high.


What I like about these plants is they really come on strong in the late season. There are numerous cultivars to choose from and they grow with almost no care. They do like some moisture and can grow in alkaline soils. In fertile soils they can spread rather rapidly but I have found them easy to control and when I plant them I keep in mind they need a little room to spread. You can divide them in the spring as a control measure or a way to get more plants. My experience is that they are not really fussy about the soil they grow in as long as adequate moisture is available and they have good drainage. The flowers are long lasting and can be used as a cut flower.

Even though they are known as Japanese Anemone it is generally believed to have originated in China. They were introduced in Europe around 1840.

6 comments:

Tracy said...

Love your blog, you take wonderful photos.

Ki said...

I like all the white anemones but I think the 'Whirlwind' is the best. I bought 'Avalanche' last year and it had a few blooms that were almost identical to 'Whirlwind' only slightly larger. There may be other taxonomic differences but I couldn't see any. Lovely photos.

Sandy Kessler said...

I'm a daisy lover but this is equally beautiful !!!ibeati

Outhouse Capital of Canada said...

We have no flowers here with it being winter, so will make do by looking at your flowers.
My daughter at Maple Ridge Daily Photo uses a Daisy as her signature picture.

DigitalShutterMania said...

I never see the beautiful flower like this post. I really love it.

Cheers,
DSM

Digital Flower Pictures said...

hi tracy, thanks for visiting.

Ki, hi there. I am going to visit your site today. I haven't had the time to visit any of my favorite blogs. I didn't include it in my post but I read that there is quite a bit of confusion amongst the experts about the differences and classifications of the cultivars. You sure did grow some pretty Anemones last year.

Hi Sandy, Happy New Year. Anemones are almost like Daisies ;-)

Outhouse, I will check that out. I have a lot of family that lives out in BC.

DSM, thanks. Keep shooting, buddy!