ANEMONELLA
Anemonella sounds like a disease caused by anemone-shaped bacteria. It is not. Anemonella is neither a disease nor an anemone. It is, in fact, a lovely woodland plant and I am completely smitten by it.
Not long ago, I caught a glimpse of a white, double-flowered anemonella lounging seductively on a sheltered porch at a local cultural institution. It was in a pot, standing in a crowd of identical plants awaiting an upcoming public plant sale. No one was paying the slightest attention to it, but its flowers were so striking that I was sure I would have to arrive early and flatten tens of plant lovers to snag one for myself at the sale. My ardor was so great that I considered crashing the members-only sale preview just to get my hands on it.
The plant was small–about six inches tall. Each flower was a little more than an inch wide, with a double row of bright white petals surrounding golden stamens. The blossoms bore a slight resemblance to small chrysanthemums. I looked at the tag, which read “Anemonella thalictroides.”
Like its namesake, the anemone, anemonella is a member of the buttercup or Ranunculaceae family. There are lots of Ranunculaceae growing in ordinary gardens including columbine, clematis and hellebore. “Anemonella,” the name bestowed on it by nineteenth century botanist Édouard Spach, means “small anemone.” The species name, “thalictroides,” refers to the leaves, which are medium green with three lobes and a resemblance to the dainty foliage of its larger relative, thalictrum, or meadow rue.
But the story of anemonella’s name doesn’t end there. Without plants like anemonella, taxonomists would have nothing to do. Genetic research now indicates that the anemonella is not be a stand-alone genus, but is actually a species of thalictrum and should therefore go by the name Thalictrum anemonoides instead. If you are looking for this beautiful little plant in nurseries or catalogs, it’s best to look for both names.
Anemonella is a native of eastern North America and prefers woodland conditions. Like many woodland plants, it blooms in the spring. The species version has nine petals, which can be either white or pale pink. If you like the look of single flowers, but want something a little showier, try ‘Lloyd’s Big Bloomer’, with upward-facing, single white flowers. ‘Tairin’, which has single pink flowers, is an anemonella that went to Japan, enjoyed the loving attentions of breeders and connoisseurs and returned with bigger and better flowers.
The anemonella with which I fell in love had double blooms, signifying, without a doubt, that it was a cultivated variety rather than a species plant. I didn’t see the cultivar name, but it looked like ‘Full White Double’ or ‘Double White’, both of which sport double petals. From the pictures in various vendors’ catalogs, ‘Full White Double’ appears to have more petals than ‘Double White’, but they might also be almost identical. There are also double pink forms, including ‘Cameo’ and ‘Schoaf’s Double’. Cameo has an abundance of pale pink petals that appear almost white on some plants at some times. ‘Schoaf’s Double’ is somewhat darker pink.
When my daughter was younger, she loved plants that had green flowers. If that is also your cup of tea, try anemonella ‘Betty Blake’, a double with pale green petals. ‘Green Dragon’ is technically a double, but its petals are thin and twisted, giving it a spidery appearance.
Like the hepatica, to which it is related, anemonella is grown and appreciated in Japan and treated as something very special. It is due to step out in fashionable plant circles here in its home country, which is probably why I saw it poised for its big moment at the charity plant sale. Anemonella’s are quite cold hardy, comfortable from the balmy environs of USDA Zone 8 to frigid USDA Zone 4. If you buy one, plant it in well-drained soil in partial shade. Since it is a vernal plant, it will probably make itself scarce when the hot summer months come around, but will also multiply on its own if it is happy.
As it happens, I have a little woodland garden at the back of my lot, shaded by an oak tree. I also have a pair of running shoes, which I will use to get through the crowds at the charity plant sale so that I can get my hands on the white ““flowered anemonella. The combination of the shady spot and the speedy shoes should make me a successful anemonella grower in short order.
If you would like your own anemonella, try Hillside Nursery; 107 Skinner Road; Shelburne Falls, MA; 01370; (413) 625-9251; www.hillsidenursery.biz. All Hillside’s plants are nursery propagated; not collected from the wild. You can also obtain anemonella from Asian plant specialist Asiatica Nursery; P.O. Box 270; Lewisberry, PA 17339; (717) 938-8677; www.asiaticanursery.com.