Fall-Blooming Anemones: Japanese Windflowers for Late-Season Color

In this final installment of a three-part series, we explore the fall-flowering anemones—commonly called Japanese anemones—indispensable for extending the garden's bloom season well into October or even November.

This group encompasses fewer species than spring- or summer-blooming anemones. All are native to East Asia and include three primary species: Anemone hupehensis, A. tomentosa, and A. vitifolia, plus their hybrids (A. × hybrida). These plants have woody rootstocks and short rhizomes, forming slowly expanding clumps. In the wild, they inhabit damp, open woodlands and subalpine meadows; in gardens, they thrive in part shade with consistently moist, humus-rich soil. Reliable snow cover benefits them; where absent, apply a heavy winter mulch.

Hardiness varies: A. tomentosa is toughest (zone 3), while A. vitifolia, A. hupehensis, and A. × hybrida are rated zone 5 (zone 4 with mulch). The basal leaves are attractive, covered in short, stiff hairs. Stems reach 60–120 cm, branching with smaller leaves. Saucer-shaped, poppy-like flowers (botanically sepals) appear from August until hard frost, in white, pink, or reddish-purple, single, semi-double, or double—all excellent for cutting.

Species differences are subtle, mainly in foliage. A. vitifolia has distinctly grape-like leaves and is rare in cultivation. A. tomentosa and A. hupehensis (syn. A. japonica) both have three-parted leaves, but A. tomentosa's undersides are densely white-hairy. Hybrids resemble A. hupehensis but lack fertile pollen. A. tomentosa 'Robustissima' (100–120 cm) bears numerous small light-pink flowers. A. hupehensis is shorter (60–75 cm; var. japonica to 1 m), with popular selections 'Hadspen Abundance' (dark purplish-pink, single) and 'Albadura' (white, single).

Pictured: A. tomentosa, 'Robustissima', and 'Hadspen Abundance'

About 30 A. × hybrida cultivars exist; a few dominate the trade. 'Honorine Jobert' (large white flowers, 100+ cm) is perhaps the most beloved. 'Andrea Atkinson' is similar but shorter (75–90 cm). 'Whirlwind' offers charming semi-double white blooms (80–110 cm). 'September Charm' (pale pink, single) and 'Rosenschale' (deeper pink, single) are widely grown. Semi-doubles include 'Alice' (light pink, 60–70 cm), 'Queen Charlotte' (light purplish-pink, 70–90 cm), 'Prinz Heinrich'/'Prince Henry' (60–80 cm), 'Bressingham Glow' (60 cm), 'Max Vogel' (60–90 cm), 'Margarete' (60–90 cm), 'Pamina' (60–70 cm), and 'Serenade' (60–90 cm).

Single-flowered hybrids: 'September Charm', 'Rosenschale', 'Honorine Jobert'

Semi-double varieties: 'Margarete', 'Bressingham Glow', 'Prinz Heinrich', 'Serenade', 'Queen Charlotte', 'Whirlwind'

Fall anemones are frost-resistant, invaluable for late-season color, and superb for arrangements. If you haven't grown them, give them a try.

Photo credits: boojum ('Robustissima', 'Rosenschale'); cactus_joe ('Margarete'); henry10 ('Prinz Heinrich'); kell ('Bressingham Glow'); kniphofia ('Whirlwind', 'Queen Charlotte'); lorettamar ('Serenade'); wallaby1 ('Hadspen Abundance').

(Editor's Note: Originally published July 19, 2008. Comments welcome, though authors of older articles may not respond promptly.)