Anemone flaccida (syn. Anemonastrum flaccidum)

Faccid Anemone  Ranunculaceae

A lovely little spring woodland anemone from eastern Asia, forming low colonies from short, creeping rhizomes. The fresh foliage emerges bronze-green in spring, developing into shallowly lobed leaves, while slender stems carry solitary white flowers, usually around 2–3 cm across. The flowers sit rather prettily above the foliage, followed by the characteristic fluffy seedheads. 

Native across Japan, Sakhalin, the Kuriles and parts of China, it is a plant of forest floors and woodland margins, behaving as a classic spring ephemeral: flowering before the canopy closes and retreating underground as the season progresses. 

Give it moist, humus-rich soil in partial shade, preferably beneath deciduous trees or among shrubs. It will tolerate a little drying once dormant, but is much happier where the soil remains reasonably cool and moisture-retentive during its growing season. It is particularly good for naturalising rather than being treated as a fussy border perennial. 

There is an interesting edible tradition too: in Japan it is known as nirinsō (ニリンソウ) and is collected as a wild vegetable. However, it can be confused with poisonous Aconitum species, so this is emphatically one for knowing exactly what you have before contemplating the salad bowl. 

Botanically, Kew now places it in ** Anemonastrum as Anemonastrum flaccidum**, although Anemone flaccida remains the familiar horticultural name. The species was published by Friedrich Schmidt in 1868. 

H7 below –20°C
Height: 10–20 cm
Spread: 20–40 cm
Flowers: March–May
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well drained
Aspect: Partial shade
Habit: Rhizomatous, gradually spreading woodland perennial