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Chinese anemone

Eriocapitella hupehensis (Ee-ree-oh-cap-ih-TEL-ah hoo-pay-HEN-sis)

Family: Ranunculaceae Unknown Herbaceous (1-3 ft)

Japanese thimbleweed is a hardy, flowering, herbaceous perennial native to the Himalayas, China and Taiwan. It is a member of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). This clumping plant produces attractive pink flowers on 2 foot long stems from summer to first frost. Plants of this type are sometimes called windflowers because the upright flower stems will often sway in the breeze. The specific epithet is Latin for "native of Hubei," which is a province in central China, the native ground for this plant. Cultivated plants in the Eriocapitella genus are commonly known as fall-blooming anemones and this plant is often known by its scientific synonym, Anemone hupehensis . This anemone was cultivated in Japan for so many years that it came to be considered a Japanese native, hence the common name. To add to the confusion, the common name, Chinese anemone, is sometimes used for this plant in reference to its true native habitat. Japanese thimbleweed does best in fertile, consistently moist, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. While it prefers part shade, the stems can tend to flop in too much shade and the plant may need support from wind. Provide mulch and avoid wet soils, especially if growing the plant in a cold winter climate. Japanese thimbleweed can be slow to establish, but over time, it will naturalize in the landscape by fibrous suckering roots to form colonies. The plant may cause skin irritation; wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling. Cut back old stems after flowering. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: Foliage can burn in hot, dry conditions. No serious insect or disease problems; however, nematodes may feed within the leaves. Leaf spot, downy mildew, powdery mildew and rust may appear. Watch for caterpillars, flea beetles, weevils and slugs.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 54 attributes.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

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.

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Herbaceous Perennial; Wildflower
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 6 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Spreading
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Whorled
Leaf margin
Dentate
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Basal foliage forms a clump to 12 inches tall of 3-parted, dark green leaves on long petioles. Each leaf has large-toothed margins and is softly pubescent beneath.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Showy
Flower form
Cyme
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Long stems bear single, cup-shaped, flowers (2 to 3 inches in diameter) with no petals. Each flower contains 5 to 7 showy, rounded, pinkish-white to pale rose-mauve tepals (modified petals) with a contrasting green button-like center surrounded by a ring of yellow stamens. Flowers bloom to first frost.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Stem detail
Long, 30 inch, upright, wiry-but-graceful, branching flower stems rise from the foliage clump in late summer.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Nepal to Taiwan
Distribution
Introduced to Korea, Baltic countries, and Ecuador.
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Walkways
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting
Garden tags
#HS303 #herbaceous perennial #pink flowers #deer resistant #wildflower #naturalizes #wet soils intolerant #colonizing #rhizomatous #clumping #colorful flowers #spreading #long stem #long bloom season
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Deer
Propagation
Division; Root Cutting
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Stems
Poison symptoms
Ingestion may cause mild stomach upset, contact may irritate skin.
Toxic principle
protoanemonin
Contact dermatitis
Yes
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Leaves; Stems; contact dermatitis

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.