Windflower (Anemone)
Anemone coronaria & blanda
Family Ranunculaceae
One name, two gifts: windflower. Grecian Anemone blanda spreads carpets of small blue, white, and pink daisies through the early-spring garden, while its glamorous cousin coronaria unfurls silky, poppy-like blooms with inky centers that florists fight over. Plant the first to paint the ground, the second to fill vases.
Both open early enough to matter to the first bees of the year, and both are deer-resistant — toxic if nibbled, so nothing nibbles. Blanda naturalizes and can be forgotten; coronaria rewards the gardener who keeps cutting. Either way, a handful of odd little corms buys a remarkable spring.
Full Sun to Part Shade
Moderate water
Fast in cool weather growth
Deer-resistant
Attracts bees
From the print shop
Growing windflower (anemone)? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries windflower (anemone) — Anemone coronaria, print Nº 20, “Windflower (Anemone).”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it fruit where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what windflower (anemone) actually needs.
Hardy inZones 7-10Windflower (Anemone) · Common problems
Common windflower (anemone) problems
Pests
1 problem on file
Diseases
2 problems on file
- Rot in warm/wet soil
- Powdery Mildew
Windflower (Anemone) · Growing & propagation
Growing windflower (anemone)
- Light
- Full Sun to Part Shade
- Water
- Moderate
Cool-season grower
Soil- Rich, well-drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- Balanced feed in growth (coronaria)
Spacing- 3-4 in
How to plant & propagate windflower (anemone)
- Propagate
- Offsets, division, or bulbils
Windflower (Anemone) · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Windflower (Anemone) · Yearly calendar
The windflower (anemone) year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomMarch to May
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Windflower (Anemone) · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Anemone coronaria & blanda
Windflower (Anemone) in the garden system
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Bees
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
- Deer
- Resistant
A safer unfenced choice
Origin- Introduced
What windflower (anemone) is grown for
⚠ Toxic if eatenToxic if eaten; sap irritates
Use- Spring carpets
- Use
- Cut flowers
- Use
- Early bees
Harvesting & storing windflower (anemone)
Cut coronaria deeply for the vase.
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Windflower (Anemone) · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a windflower (anemone) variety
'De Caen'/'St. Brigid' (coronaria, poppy anemones, cut flowers); 'Blanda' (Grecian windflower, hardy blue/white/pink carpets)
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Windflower (Anemone)
Anemone coronaria & blanda
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Anemone coronaria & blanda
- Plant family
- Ranunculaceae
- Growth habit
- Bulb · Perennial
- Origin
- Introduced
- USDA plant symbol
- ANCO40
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
Questions
Windflower (Anemone) questions, answered straight.
Do deer eat windflower (anemone)?
Rarely — windflower (anemone) is considered deer-resistant, which makes it one of the safer unfenced choices in deer country. Hungry deer in a hard winter test every rule, but it's a low-risk pick.
Is windflower (anemone) safe for kids and pets?
No — treat it as toxic if eaten. Toxic if eaten; sap irritates Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
When do you harvest windflower (anemone)?
Cut coronaria deeply for the vase.
How do you propagate windflower (anemone)?
Offsets, division, or bulbils.
Elsewhere
Where windflower (anemone) sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily