Poppy anemone

Poppy anemone: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low tuft of leaves with upright, unbranched flower stems of 20–30 cm above it.

Leaves

Finely divided, fresh green, rather like parsley; a ruff of narrow leaves sits below each flower.

Flower

Bowl-shaped, 5–8 cm across, single or semi-double, with a dark centre of stamens, from May to July.

Colour

Red, scarlet, blue, violet, pink and white, sometimes bicoloured.

Tuber

Small, hard and irregular, like a dried-up piece of wood; it needs soaking first.

Flowering: May–July · Plants: March–April

Why grow it?

• One of the finest cut flowers you can grow yourself, in bright, saturated colours.
• Quick results: about ten weeks after planting you have flowers.
• Planting a new batch of tubers every two to three weeks extends flowering into July.
• Bees collect pollen from the dark centre of the open flowers.
• Also suits a pot or container on a sunny patio.

Poppy anemone: where does it grow best?

• Full sun: this keeps the stems sturdy and gives the most flowers.
• Light, well-drained soil: sand or loam, neutral to chalky.
• Moist during growth but never wet: waterlogged soil rots the tubers.
• A warm, sheltered spot, for example in front of a south-facing wall or in a cutting bed in the vegetable garden.
• Plant 10–15 cm apart, in rows or small groups.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.15 m wide

Hardiness

Half hardy (to -10 °C): protect it in harsh winters

Goes well with

• Persian buttercup: Needs the same sunny spot and is also a superb cut flower.
• Cornflower: A blue annual that flowers at the same time.
• Love-in-a-mist: Airy blue or white around the vivid anemones.
• Lavender: A fragrant, grey edging that likes the same warm, dry spot.

Poppy anemone: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April.

1. Plant in March–April, once the ground is no longer frozen.
2. First soak the tubers for a few hours in lukewarm water, until they swell.
3. Set them 5 cm deep, with the point facing down.
4. Keep 10–15 cm between them; plant a new row every two to three weeks for longer flowering.
5. Water after planting, then keep the soil slightly moist rather than wet.
6. In a pot: use potting compost mixed with some sand and make sure the pot has a drainage hole.

Care

Watering

Keep the soil slightly moist once the leaves appear; in dry spells, water at the base.

Feeding

Mix some compost into the soil at planting. In a pot, give a liquid feed for flowering plants every two weeks.

Cutting

Cut the stems when the bud shows colour or is just opening: they then last longest in the vase.

Spent flowers

Remove them regularly so that new buds keep coming.

After flowering

Let the leaves die back naturally, then lift the tubers.

Tip: Do not plant them all at once: in March and April plant a row of tubers every two to three weeks, and you will be picking flowers from May into July.

Poppy anemone: when to prune it?

When: The poppy anemone is not pruned. You only cut flowers for the vase and remove spent stems.

How:

• Cut spent flowers with their whole stem, as low as possible.
• Leave the leaves until they turn yellow in summer.
• Clear the dead foliage when you lift the tubers.

Caution: Wear gloves if you have sensitive skin: the sap can irritate.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Seed

Sow fresh seed in summer in a tray of seed compost under glass. Seedlings usually flower the following year.

Dividing tubers

Large, old tubers sometimes have several eyes. After lifting, carefully break them into pieces with one eye each and let the cuts dry.

Poppy anemone: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• Only moderately hardy, to about −10 °C: in a Belgian winter it is not safe outdoors.
• Lift the tubers once the leaves have died back in summer and store them dry and frost-free, for example in a paper bag.
• If you leave them in the ground, choose a dry, sheltered spot and cover in winter with a thick layer of straw or leaves.
• In a pot: move the pot to a dry, frost-free garage or cellar for the winter.

Diseases and pests

• Tuber rot: The tubers fail to sprout or go soft. The cause is usually wet, heavy soil: plant in light soil or in a pot.
• Slugs: They eat young leaves and flower buds. Pick them off in the evening or protect the plants with a collar.
• Aphids: On young stems and buds. Hose them off with water or leave them to the ladybirds.
• No flowers: Tubers too old or too dried out, not soaked, or planted too late. Buy firm tubers and soak them first.

Through the year

• February: Check stored tubers for mould.
• March: Soak and plant tubers 5 cm deep.
• April: Plant a second batch. Watch for slugs.
• May: First flowers. Cut for the vase.
• June: Full flower. Remove spent flowers. Water in dry spells.
• July: Last flowers from late plantings.
• August: Foliage dies back. Lift the tubers and let them dry.
• October: Store the tubers dry and frost-free.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of these anemones are poisonous, especially the small tubers: when the plant is damaged it releases protoanemonin, an acrid compound also found in buttercups. In the mouth it causes a burning feeling, drooling, vomiting and stomach ache; on the skin, redness and sometimes small blisters. Before planting, the dry tubers are soaked in water for a few hours: keep that bowl out of reach of children, dogs and cats, and afterwards pour the water out on the border. Clear up loose tubers, as dogs like to dig them up. Wear gloves when planting if you have sensitive skin. If any is swallowed, call a poison centre (in Belgium 070 245 245) or your doctor at once.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• Coronaria comes from the Latin corona, crown or wreath: the flowers were once used in wreaths and garlands.
• The name anemone is often explained as wind flower, from the Greek word anemos for wind.
• In the wild around the Mediterranean it flowers in late winter and early spring; here it flowers later because we plant the tubers in spring.