Anemone species

In Anemones, the ‘petals’ are in fact sepals.

Anemone nemorosa, Wood Anemone, is a common spring flower of damp woodland - often in extensive colonies. The leaves are finely lobed and the delicate, single flower is easily damaged. It is normally white, but can occasionally be pink with 5-8 ‘petals’ which are glabrous or sparsely hairy near the base on the the underside. There are flore pleno forms as well where the stamens have changed into petal-like structures.

Anemone apennina, Blue Anemone, escapes from gardens from time to time. Its leaves are similar to Anemone nemorosa, but there’s no mistaking the blue flowers with 10 -15 ‘petals’ and hairy at the base of the sepals on the underside. There is another similar species Anemone blanda, Balkan Anemone which has more ‘petals’ 10-20, which are narrower and glabrous on the underside.

Anemone x hybrida, Japanese Anemone (or Japanese Wind-flower), is another garden escape - tall, sparsely-branched with white to purple sepals densely hairy on the back.

Anemone coronaria, Poppy Anemone, is a true garden plant with many cultivars. It occasionally escapes into the wild.