Chinese anemone

Chinese anemone: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Clump of basal leaves with slender, branching flower stems 60–90 cm tall; spreads slowly by rhizomes.

Leaves

Three-lobed, toothed and dark green, slightly hairy underneath.

Flower

Saucer-shaped, 5–6 cm across, with a ring of golden stamens around a green centre; from August to October.

Colour

Soft to deep pink, often darker on the reverse.

Fruit

Woolly balls of fluffy seeds that break apart in autumn and winter.

Roots

Creeping rhizomes; young plants are slow to establish and old clumps are best not moved.

Flowering: August–October · Plants: March–May · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Flowers from August to October, when many other perennials have finished.
• Shorter and more compact than the Japanese anemone, so ideal for the middle of the border.
• Bees and hoverflies still find plenty of pollen in late summer.
• Does well in partial shade, for example between shrubs, but also in sun.
• After flowering, woolly seed heads appear that last into winter.
• Once established it is tough, long-lived and needs little care.

Chinese anemone: where does it grow best?

• Partial shade is ideal; sun is fine too, as long as the soil does not dry out.
• Humus-rich loam or clay, from slightly acid to chalky.
• Normally moist: do not let it dry out in summer, but no wet feet in winter either.
• Out of strong wind, as the long stems can blow over.
• Allow 40–50 cm between plants.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Not fussy

Moisture

Normal

Size

0.8 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -25 °C)

Goes well with

• Michaelmas daisy: Flowers at the same time, in purple and blue.
• Bugbane: White spires in late summer, in the same partial shade.
• Japanese forest grass: A soft, arching grass for the front of the border.
• Hosta: Large leaves at the foot of the airy flower stems.

Chinese anemone: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–May.

1. Plant from March to May, so the roots have a whole season to establish before winter.
2. Dig a hole twice as wide as the pot and mix in compost or leaf mould.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as it was in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Keep 40–50 cm apart; it looks best in a group of three or five.
5. Water in generously straight away, and again in dry spells during the first year.
6. Spread a layer of leaf mould around the base to keep the soil cool and moist.

Care

Water

Weekly in dry spells during the first year. After that, only in long dry periods.

Feeding

A layer of compost around the base in spring; more is not needed.

Mulching

Leaf mould or fine wood chips in spring keep the soil cool and moist.

Support

In a windy spot, support the stems with twiggy sticks or a plant ring.

Spreading

Remove runners that go too far in spring.

Tip: Plant it in spring rather than autumn: that gives it a whole season to root and it will come through its first winter much better.

Chinese anemone: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: In March, before the new shoots appear. In autumn, leave the stems and the woolly seed heads standing.

How:

• Cut the old stems and dead leaves off just above the ground.
• Take care not to damage the young shoots already at the base.
• There is no need to deadhead: the seed heads are decorative.

Caution: Wear gloves: the sap can irritate the skin.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Root cuttings

From December to February: lay 5 cm pieces of root flat in a pot of gritty cutting compost, cover thinly and keep cool and barely moist. They sprout in spring.

Offsets

In March–April, separate young rooted runners from the edge of the clump and replant them elsewhere at once. Preferably leave the parent plant undisturbed.

Chinese anemone: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −25 °C.

• Hardy to about −25 °C: in Belgium it needs no protection.
• Wet feet in winter are its worst enemy: make sure the soil drains well.
• A layer of leaves or compost over young plants helps them through their first winter.
• Leave the stems until March: they protect the clump and look lovely with frost on them.

Diseases and pests

• Leaf nematodes: Brown, angular patches between the veins, mainly on the lower leaves. Remove and dispose of affected leaves.
• Slugs: They eat the young shoots in spring. Pick them off in the evening.
• Slow start: It barely grows in its first year. Be patient: it gets going from the second year.
• Flopping stems: In a spot that is too dark or windy, the stems become weak. Give it more light or some support.

Through the year

• February: Take root cuttings.
• March: Cut down old stems. Give compost. Plant.
• April: Plant. Watch for slugs on young shoots. Separate runners.
• May: Plant. Apply mulch.
• July: Water in dry spells. Add support if needed.
• August: Flowering begins.
• September: Full bloom. Bees on the flowers.
• October: Last flowers. Woolly seed heads appear.
• November: Leave the stems standing. Cover young plants with leaves.
• December: Take root cuttings.

Edible and useful

Not edible. All parts of these garden anemones are poisonous: 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, in children as well as in dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs; on the skin, redness, itching and sometimes small blisters. The acrid taste puts most people and animals off, but do not plant them in a run, and do not throw trimmings or dug-out pieces into a field, run or hutch. They spread by rhizomes: wear gloves when chopping them back, cutting down and dividing, and wash your hands afterwards. 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?

• The species name hupehensis refers to the Chinese province of Hubei, formerly spelt Hupeh.
• A form of this species has been grown in Japan for centuries; that is where European botanists first came across it, hence the name Japanese anemone, even though it comes from China.
• Together with the grape-leaved anemone from the Himalayas, it is a parent of the Japanese anemone, Anemone × hybrida.