Anemone

Japanese Anemone

Anemone hupehensis, more commonly known as 'Japanese Anemone' or 'Wind Flower' is an herbaceous perennial within the buttercup family.

The word Anemone is Greek and translates as 'daughter of the wind' which is where the common name 'wind flower' derives from.

Introduced in Europe in 1844, the term 'Japanese' Anemone is somewhat misleading as they are actually native to China but were naturalized and grown in Japanese gardens for centuries and were supposedly found growing between gravestones in Shanghai, as they were used as grave decorations to commemorate the dead.

Japanese Anemones are one of the best late summer flowers, generally flowering from August through to late October, with tall upright single or double flowers in shades of pinks and whites. They are best grown in a well drained, loamy soil, enriched with well rotted manure which should be dug in below the tubers and positioned in partial shade.

In spring clumps of Anemone's can be divided if required and it is also an ideal time to remove any dead stems left over from winter. As Anemone's are generally slow to establish and hardiness can be a problem, it is advised that any dead stems are not removed beforehand as they do provide some protection over the winter months.

Japanese Anemones are ideal for use as cut flowers and are best done in the early part of the morning whilst it is still cool and the blooms are closed. They should generally last around 9 days in a vase if properly cared for.