Anemone nemorosa ‘Behemoth Blue’

Wood Anemone Ranunculaceae

A particularly good blue wood anemone, with flowers substantially richer in colour than the usual pale forms of Anemone nemorosa. ‘Behemoth Blue’ produces small, intensely blue flowers above dark green, divided foliage, making an excellent carpet beneath deciduous trees. It is already proving a good performer for us, forming a compact, spreading groundcover. 

The colour is the real attraction: rather than merely having a bluish cast, the flowers are a strong, saturated blue, which looks particularly effective against the dark foliage. Like the species, it is a spring ephemeral, appearing early, flowering before the woodland canopy closes and then retreating underground for the summer. A. nemorosa naturally spreads by branching rhizomes, so given time ‘Behemoth Blue’ can make a very handsome colony. 

Give it moist, humus-rich soil in partial or deciduous shade, preferably where it receives good light in early spring. It is an excellent plant for naturalising through woodland, beneath shrubs or among early bulbs. Once established, it needs very little attention — apart from waiting patiently for it to do what woodland anemones do best.

And despite the somewhat grandiose name, the plant itself remains decidedly dainty rather than behemoth-sized. A case where the name has rather more muscle than the plant.

H6 –15 to –20°C
Height: 10–20 cm
Spread: 30–50 cm
Flowers: March–April
Soil: Moist, humus-rich, well drained
Aspect: Deciduous shade or partial shade
Habit: Rhizomatous, gradually spreading
Flower: Intense, rich blue