Wood anemone is a herbaceous perennial in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) native to North America. It is related to and sometimes confused with the European variety that go by the same common names. When in flower, it will reach 8 and sometimes 12 inches tall. The plant spreads by underground rhizomes and spreads up to 1 foot in a thick mat. Wood anemone likes fertile, moist, well-drained, acidic soil in part shade to dappled shade. Propagation is by division and seeds. The spring flowers are white or sometimes pink with usually 5 petals surrounding a green center with numerous white-tipped stamens. The flowers close at night or during a cloudy day. The compound leaves occur in a whorl of three and can be lobed or deeply divided. They can take up to 5 years to begin flowering. Use wood anemone as a ground cover for shady areas or woodland gardens with deciduous trees. They will attract bees to a native pollinator garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Watch for powdery mildew and leaf spot. Spider mites and aphids are potential pests. Keeping the soil moist helps prevent problems.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
Less than 12 inches
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 9 in. | Width: 0 ft. 6 in. - 1 ft. 10 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Creeping; Dense; Spreading
Texture
Fine
Leaf color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate; Whorled
Leaf shape
Orbicular
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Alternate or whorled, finely divided compound leaves. More specifically, it has a terminal whorl of three leaves divided into three to five narrow, sharply toothed segments. The basal leaves may not be present at flowering time. Leaflets are up to 2 inches long and bright green to purplish green. and nearly round in outline.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup; Radial
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
1-in. terminal flower with 5 to 7 white, petal-like sepals. Although mainly white, the flowers can have a pink or purple flush. They are cup-shaped with 5-many petal-like parts and many stamens. Flowers bloom from March to May.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
This plant has small round head of beaked oval seeds 1/8" long often with plumose tails. Displays from June to July.
Toxic only if eaten in large quantities. All parts when fresh. Symptoms may include: Inflammation and blistering upon contact with fresh sap; irritation of mouth, vomiting and diarrhea following ingestion.