Anemone ranunculoides L.

Species Identity and Height

Anemone ranunculoides L. is a herbaceous plant that grows 5 to 15 centimetres (2.0 to 5.9 in) tall.

Seasonal Growth Cycle

By mid-summer, the above-ground growth dies back to the plant's root-like rhizomes. These rhizomes grow just below the soil surface and multiply quickly, allowing the plant to spread rapidly in woodland habitats.

Flower Characteristics

Its flowers are roughly 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in diameter, and bear five to eight rich yellow, petal-like segments that are actually tepals. Within its native range, this species flowers from March through May.

Native Distribution

The native range of Anemone ranunculoides (also referred to as Anemonoides ranunculoides) stretches across Continental Europe to southwest Siberia, and extends as far south as the Caucasus Mountains in Turkey.

Introduced Distribution

The species has been introduced to Great Britain and other locations outside its native range. In Canada, a naturalized population exists at a well-known site in Quebec.

Cultivation Use

This plant is widely cultivated as a garden ornamental, particularly popular among growers of rock gardens and alpine gardens.

Horticultural Awards and Hardiness

It has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (AGM), and the Royal Horticultural Society rates it as H4, meaning it is hardy throughout the British Isles. Its double-flowered form 'Pleniflora', which is sometimes listed as 'Flore Pleno', has also received the Award of Garden Merit.

Cultivars and Selections

A larger, more robust cultivar called 'Frank Waley' is sometimes available for cultivation. Other available selections include the miniature subspecies A. ranunculoides subsp. wockeana, and 'Laciniata', a cultivar with finely divided leaves.