Ubiquitous in the late summer garden but forever endearing, this rightly popular Japanese anemone is a typical late ornamental plant. Its bright white petals with yellow stamens, on stems up to 1.2m, will light up a shaded corner. A good ground cover, it competes with weeds effectively and is drought tolerant. Although able to cope with dark shade, it does better in sun or dappled shade. Although it resents being moved, it can spread rapidly once established, so even if you have to move it, expect some rhizomes to remain in the original site and pop up again. Other cultivars are equally charming and come in various shades of pink (‘Konigin Charlotte’, A. hupehensis ‘Splendens’, ‘Pamina’) and smaller sizes (‘Wild Swan’).
H x S: 1.2m x 1m
Aspect and soil: really unfussy but best in moist but well-drained soil in dappled shade. Can get scorched by the midday sun in exposed, dry sites.
Use: In a woodland setting, alongside ferns, Polygonatum and other shade-loving plants, but also successfully in bold drifts among light-loving perennials, as in Dan Pearson’s Coals Drop Yard.
Care: Remove spent flower heads, stalks and dead leaves in late autumn, leaving any green leaves still standing. Mulch with garden compost in spring. May take a while to establish, so should only be moved if necessary – congested clumps can be lifted and divided just before the first leaves appear in early spring.
Wildlife: Bee- and insect-friendly.
Hazard: —
Origin: Species from China and Japan.
Hardiness: H7
GILG GARDEN DESIGN 