PlantFiles: Japanese Windflower, Japanese Anemone, Japanese Thimbleflower
Anemone hupehensis

I bought this plant last season from a Nursery in Pretoria, South Africa which specialises in showy plants which are "something different" from the norm found in SA gardens.
It flowered well during the first flowering season in my garden but this summer, despite having grown into a healthy looking, compact plant with lots of leaves, it has so far not produced any flowers.
I should welcome any suggestions to promote flower development?

I got some seeds of a "pink anemone" at a seed exchange, and swooned with excitement. I didn't realize it wanted cold stratification to germinate until it was spring, but lucky for me we had a very cold wet spring. I direct sowed them in mid April, and almost gave up hope before I saw the barest green flecks in late May. I have a healthy patch of anemone now, and today, mid October, it bloomed. Let it run, I've given it room.

I received a few of these as transplants from my cousin in early June. They transplanted fine and just bloomed now in mid July. Quite happy with it!

It definitely doesn't like to be transplanted. Out of three plants I transplanted, three died almost immediately.

I think that people are confusing "Anemome Hupehensis var. Japonica" with the regular "Anemone Hupehensis." While the Japonica variety is definitely shorter than Hupehensis, it also does not spread like a weed.

I also have been able to germinate it from seed. I followed this schedule and it was successful for me. I sowed the seeds in a small pot and sealed it in one Hefty sealing bag during all the time until germination.

1) Sowed Jan 23
2) Refrigerated Feb 4
3) Took out of fridge Mar 28
4) Germinated Apr 11

Perhaps because our clay-based soil is more inhibiting to a plant's potential invasiveness than sandy soil, as well as our winter being colder than the California garden above, we have not experienced a problem with invasiveness of our July - Aug blooming, single, pink Japanese anemone.

Our pink anemone grows "en masse" behind the silvery, Japanese painted fern, which is interrupted by an unnamed monster blue-glaucous, pleated hosta. In addition to the late blooms and long season interest, in a part of the garden too shady for many other flowers, this grouping is one of the places in our garden we pretty much leave alone except for one spring weeding - a wonderful "groundcover combination".

Also, deer, rabbits, woodchucks, snails, etc. don't bother it. We find that, as a general rule, members of the goosefoot group (ranunculaceae - terminology?) are not as tasty to deer as many other plants. This includes peonies, cranesbills, aconite, clematis, etc.

We find the taller white Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert" to be very floppy (and later) in the shade, as in the post above, but not this shorter, earlier pink anemone.

Propagation by root cutting is a good way to propagate this plant. (This anemone does not often transplant well for me). The Handbook on Propagation from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Vol 13, No 2, printed March 1981 on page 52 says it well:

"...a few large, strong roots are removed from the plant (it may be necessary to lift the plant to do this) and cut into pieces 1 to 2 inches long. The pieces are laid horizontally in sandy soil and covered to a depth of about 1 inch. Some root cuttings will develop shoots at the end which was nearest the parent stem, and roots at the other end; others develop roots and shoots anywhere along their length."

This method is useful also for: Dicentra spectabilis - soon after growth starts; Gypsophilia paniculata - fall or spring; Oenothera spp.; and Papaver orientalis - late summer (August when it's dormant here).

Attractive foliage with beautiful delicate pink flowers in the fall which is a great addition to my garden. Unfortunately, it is a prolific grower and needs to be kept severely in check otherwise it becomes a nuisance. It tends to get very "leggy" and needs to be staked.

A.japonica - The blooms are pretty and it provides color in the garden in late summer. However, it spreads rapidly through fibrous roots. The pinkish-purplish variety more so than the white one. I have to agressively "weed" out the plants 2-3 times a year to keep it in check and you can't get rid of it. Plant with that in mind. With both positive and negative attributes - have to give it a neutral.

Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Soak tubers in water overnight before planting, and plant in fall. Although called windflowers, these plants will do best if sheltered from the wind. Keep moist in growing season.

Likes moist soils. Flower best if left undivided. Need protection from wind.