Anemones are graceful, long-blooming flowers that add movement and softness to backyard gardens. Known for their delicate, poppy-like blooms and slender stems, anemones thrive in sunny to partially shaded areas and return year after year with minimal care.
Many varieties bloom in spring or fall, helping extend color when other flowers fade. From low-growing ground covers to taller statement plants, these are the most popular anemone varieties to grow in your backyard.
1. Japanese Anemone (Anemone hupehensis)
Japanese anemones are tall, elegant plants that bloom in late summer and fall when many other flowers are fading. They produce soft pink or white blooms on long stems and add height and movement to the garden. This variety prefers partial shade, well-drained soil, and becomes more impressive each year once established.
2. Windflower (Anemone blanda)
Windflowers are low-growing, early-spring bloomers with daisy-like flowers in shades of blue, pink, and white. They spread easily and work well as ground cover under trees or in rock gardens. This variety thrives in full sun to partial shade and is very low maintenance.
3. Poppy Anemone (Anemone coronaria)
Poppy anemones are known for their bold, vibrant blooms with dark centers, often seen in red, purple, blue, and white. They grow from tubers and bloom in spring or early summer. This variety prefers full sun, well-drained soil, and is excellent for garden beds and cut-flower gardens.
4. Wood Anemone (Anemone nemorosa)
Wood anemones are woodland plants that bloom early in spring with delicate white flowers. They spread slowly to form natural-looking patches in shaded areas. This variety is ideal for woodland gardens, shaded borders, and under deciduous trees.
5. Snowdrop Anemone (Anemone sylvestris)
Snowdrop anemones produce white, lightly fragrant flowers in late spring to early summer. They grow taller than wood anemones and tolerate more sun. This variety is hardy, easy to grow, and works well in mixed perennial beds.
6. Greian Windflower (Anemone × hybrida)
Greian windflowers are hybrid anemones known for their graceful blooms and strong garden performance. They flower in late summer to fall and produce pink or white blooms on tall stems. This variety prefers partial shade and moist, well-drained soil.
7. Honorine Jobert Anemone
Honorine Jobert is a classic Japanese anemone with large, pure white flowers and bright yellow centers. It blooms in late summer and fall and brightens shaded garden areas. This variety is very hardy and reliable once established.
8. September Charm Anemone
September Charm anemones produce soft pink blooms on tall, arching stems in late summer and early fall. They add color and movement when many summer flowers are finishing. This variety prefers partial shade and spreads slowly over time.
9. Blue Star Anemone
Blue Star anemones are a type of windflower known for their bright blue, star-shaped blooms in early spring. They stay low to the ground and work well as ground cover. This variety thrives in full sun to partial shade and naturalizes easily.
10. De Caen Anemone
De Caen anemones are a popular poppy anemone strain with single blooms in bold colors. They bloom in spring and are commonly grown from tubers. This variety is ideal for garden beds, containers, and cut-flower use.
11. St. Brigid Anemone
St. Brigid anemones are known for their fully double, layered blooms that resemble small peonies. They come in rich shades of red, purple, blue, pink, and white. This variety blooms in spring, prefers full sun, and works beautifully in garden beds and containers.
12. Wild Anemone
Wild anemones are native-style plants that produce simple, delicate blooms and spread naturally over time. They are very hardy and low maintenance once established. This variety is ideal for naturalized gardens and woodland-style landscapes.
13. Richard Ahrens Anemone
Richard Ahrens anemones produce soft pink flowers on tall, graceful stems in late summer and fall. They add height and elegance to shaded borders. This variety is reliable and long-lived in partial shade.
14. Mount Everest Anemone
Mount Everest anemones feature large, double white blooms with a clean, elegant look. They bloom in late summer and early fall and make excellent focal plants. This variety thrives in partial shade with well-drained soil.
15. Praecox Anemone
Praecox anemones are early bloomers with soft pink flowers that appear in late summer. They grow on tall stems and bring gentle color to the garden as the seasons change. This variety is hardy and easy to grow in shaded garden beds.
