Snowdrop anemone

Snowdrop anemone: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, carpeting perennial 30 cm tall, spreading by runners to 50 cm or more.

Leaves

Hand-shaped, deeply cut into 3–5 lobes, softly hairy, fresh green.

Flower

Cup-shaped, pure white, 4–7 cm across, with a ring of yellow stamens; usually one flower per stem.

Scent

A light, sweet fragrance, especially on warm days.

Fruit

Woolly white seed heads that are spread by the wind.

Flowering: April–June · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: March

Why grow it?

• Pure white, lightly scented flowers in spring, sometimes with a small repeat in late summer.
• Pretty, woolly seed heads after flowering.
• A vigorous ground cover that spreads by runners into a low carpet beneath shrubs.
• Bees visit the open flowers for their plentiful pollen.
• Tolerates drought and lime, on light soil where many plants struggle.

Snowdrop anemone: where does it grow best?

• Sun or part shade: under shrubs, among roses or at the edge of a border.
• Light, free-draining sandy or loamy soil, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moist; it dislikes wet, heavy soil.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart for a closed carpet; after that it spreads by itself.

Light

Sun and partial shade

Soil type

Sand or loam

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.5 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -35 °C)

Goes well with

• Columbine: Flowers at the same time, in blue, pink or purple above the white carpet.
• Hardy geranium: Takes over after flowering in the same spot.
• Pasque flower: Also likes dry, chalky soil and has equally woolly seed heads.
• Grape hyacinth: Small blue spikes among the young leaves in April.
• Roses: The anemone makes a fresh white carpet around their base.

Snowdrop anemone: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October, when the ground is not frozen.
2. Loosen the soil well; on slightly heavier soil, a spadeful of coarse sand helps.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in its pot and firm the soil.
4. Leave 30–40 cm between plants.
5. Water straight away and keep the soil slightly moist for the first few weeks.
6. A thin layer of leaf mould is enough as a mulch.

Care

Water

Water in dry spells in the first year; after that only in very dry periods.

Feeding

A thin layer of compost in March is enough.

Spent flowers

Leave them for the woolly seed heads, or cut them off for a tidier plant.

Runners

Chop off runners that grow out of place, preferably in spring.

Gloves

Wear gloves: the sap can irritate the skin.

Tip: Plant it under shrubs or roses on light soil and let it get on with it: within a few years it forms a white-flowering carpet that lets few weeds through.

Snowdrop anemone: when to prune it?

Pruning months: March.

When: It needs hardly any pruning. In March, clear away the old, withered leaves.

How:

• In March cut away dead leaves and stems, before the new foliage appears.
• After flowering you can cut off the stems, or leave them for the woolly seed heads.
• Chop off runners that go too far.

Caution: Wear gloves: the sap can cause red, itchy patches on the skin.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Runners

In March–April or in September–October: at the edge of the carpet, lift a young plant with roots and replant it straight away in its new spot.

Division

In spring or autumn, cut large clumps into pieces and replant them.

Snowdrop anemone: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −35 °C.

• Very hardy, to about −35 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The leaves may wither in winter; it reshoots in spring.
• Wet feet in winter are more dangerous than frost: make sure the soil drains freely.

Diseases and pests

• Spreading too far: The runners pop up among other plants. Chop them off in spring.
• Slugs: They eat the young leaves and buds in April. Pick them off in the evening.
• Root rot: Yellow leaves and rotting clumps on wet, heavy soil. Move it to a lighter, drier spot.
• Few flowers: In too much shade it makes mostly leaves. Give it more light.

Through the year

• March: Clear old leaves. Plant or divide. Add a little compost.
• April: Flowering begins. Watch for slugs.
• May: Full bloom, with a light scent.
• June: Last flowers. Woolly seed heads.
• July: Water during long droughts.
• August: Let runners grow or chop them off.
• September: Sometimes a small repeat flowering. Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Move runners.
• December: Rest.

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?

• What look like petals are really sepals: anemones have no true petals.
• The seeds sit in woolly tufts and are spread by the wind.
• The name sylvestris means ‘of the woods’: in the wild it grows in light, dry woodland.