Wood Anemone, Windflower, Anemone quinquefolia L., Native Minnesota Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

(Windflower). Wood Anemone is a native perennial early spring forb producing an aerial shoot 2 to 8" high. The leaves are basal with long-stalks, divided into 3 to 5 palmately divided lobes. The lobes (they are not leaflets) are unevenly toothed with deep clefts and often reddish color when young, turning green with age, and have fine hair on the upper surface and sometimes on the lower surface. Plants with aerial stems do not have true leaves on the stem, but instead they are called bracts. Just below the flower head is a whorl of these smaller bracts. The inflorescence is a single flower on a long stalk rising above the bract whorl, about 1" wide. Flowers: Blooms can begin in mid-April if the season is early and can last into June during a late spring season. The flower may have a pinkish tinge when it opens, but turns white as it matures. The color is in the sepals, there are no petals. Sepals normally number 5 but there can be up to 25. The multitude of additional sepals can give the appearance of a doubled flower. Stamens number 30 to 60 have white filaments and creamy-white anthers. Seed: Mature flowers produce a dry achene that is up to 1/5" long (4.5mm)

Habitat: Wood Anemone grows from a slender, horizontal root stalk. It can be grown in a variety of soils and conditions from wet meadows to thickets, clearings and open woods. Names: The genus Anemone, generally applied to what are called windflowers, is thought to be from the Greek anemos, meaning 'wind'. Consideration is also given to the god Adonis, who in the Greek myth was killed while hunting a boar and from his blood came a red windflower. The species quinquefolia is from the Latin quinatus, meaning 'fives' and referring to 'five-leaved' which is the number of lobes the basal leaves can have. Comparisons: The two most common Anemones in our area that have similarities are the Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides, and the False Rue Anemone, Enemion biternatum. In both species the bracts of the aerial stem are different in appearance.

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Wood Anemone	Anemone quinquefolia L.	Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)	Woodland/Upland	Spring
Other names and notes	(Windflower). Wood Anemone is a native perennial early spring forb producing an aerial shoot 2 to 8" high. The leaves are basal with long-stalks, divided into 3 to 5 palmately divided lobes. The lobes (they are not leaflets) are unevenly toothed with deep clefts and often reddish color when young, turning green with age, and have fine hair on the upper surface and sometimes on the lower surface. Plants with aerial stems do not have true leaves on the stem, but instead they are called bracts. Just below the flower head is a whorl of these smaller bracts. The inflorescence is a single flower on a long stalk rising above the bract whorl, about 1" wide. Flowers: Blooms can begin in mid-April if the season is early and can last into June during a late spring season. The flower may have a pinkish tinge when it opens, but turns white as it matures. The color is in the sepals, there are no petals. Sepals normally number 5 but there can be up to 25. The multitude of additional sepals can give the appearance of a doubled flower. Stamens number 30 to 60 have white filaments and creamy-white anthers. Seed: Mature flowers produce a dry achene that is up to 1/5" long (4.5mm) Habitat: Wood Anemone grows from a slender, horizontal root stalk. It can be grown in a variety of soils and conditions from wet meadows to thickets, clearings and open woods. Names: The genus Anemone, generally applied to what are called windflowers, is thought to be from the Greek anemos, meaning 'wind'. Consideration is also given to the god Adonis, who in the Greek myth was killed while hunting a boar and from his blood came a red windflower. The species quinquefolia is from the Latin quinatus, meaning 'fives' and referring to 'five-leaved' which is the number of lobes the basal leaves can have. Comparisons: The two most common Anemones in our area that have similarities are the Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides, and the False Rue Anemone, Enemion biternatum. In both species the bracts of the aerial stem are different in appearance.