Crop Feature: Japanese Anemones

Soft fuzzy petals, long stems blowing in the breeze- what’s not to like about Japanese Anemones? For years I’ve wanted to have lots of these beauties and last year I decided to make it happen.

Japanese anemones are a great perennial but they need a bit of shade to be happy in our hot Southern climate. So what to do? I decided to create my own shade (because I wasn’t going to dig up my hellebores holding court in all the farm’s shady spots!)

One of the beds after planting out last fall.

Last winter I invested in shade cloth (and invested is the word— this stuff isn’t cheap!) But it’s been worth it- the plants are so happy! They are loving our rich soil, the constant moisture of drip irrigation and dappled shade! Who knew shade plants could be so happy in the middle of a sunny field!

I’ve got 4 varieties going- 2 whites and 2 pinks.

The whites are fairly similar but one is much taller- should have 30” plus stems. One pink is a light blushy color, long stems. The other pink is a medium more mauvey pink and is semi- double.

This is their first year flowering and I can’t wait to see them show off!

Also I discovered that their foliage is quite beautiful in late fall. If our weather goes cool without freezing, the leaves turn these beautiful fall tones. The plants die back completely once it freezes but maybe we’ll get a chance to use these beautiful leaves first!

The Basic Facts:
Season: Sept- October- maybe longer, we’ll find out this year!
Stem Length: Generally tall- 24-30+ inches, depending on variety