Hybrid anemones or windflowers are herbaceous perennials in the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family. They grow 1- 1.5 feet tall and up to 3 feet tall when in bloom. Windflowers spread by rhizomes and make a good ground cover when given room to spread. In milder climates, they can be nearly evergreen. It has a mounding habit and the flowers come in various colors, are held above the foliage on wiry stems, blooming from late summer to fall. Windflowers prefer moist but well-drained and fertile soils that are not allowed to dry out. Avoid planting in wet soils. In the south, they will do best in part shade to prevent burning the foliage and drying out. In the north, they will do best with mulching well for winter. They may be slow to establish. Use this plant as a ground cover, in borders, naturalized areas or mass plantings. Insects. Diseases and Other Plant Problems: Flea beetles, caterpillars, and slugs are occasional pests. Susceptible to Synchytrium leaf gall, downy mildew, Septoria leaf spot, powdery mildew, and some viruses. Taller plants may need some staking or other support. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee.
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 sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
High Organic Matter
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 2 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Ovate; Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
The oval trifoliate, palmate, toothed dark green basal leaves are lightly covered with fine hairs.
Flower color
Pink; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Good Cut; Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup; Saucer
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
Saucer to cup-shaped flowers have 6-9 overlapping tepals and numerous bright yellow stamens in a ring surrounding a chartreuse center. The tepals can be white, pink and purple and 2-3 inches across.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit detail
Seedheads form from the green center of the flowers (originally the bud). This does not always appear, but if it does, the seedhead may be seen after frost. While this part is a seedhead, seeds do not usually form from it.