Anemone x lipsiensis 'Stilby'

Leipzig Anemone Ranunculaceae

A particularly curious form of the natural hybrid between Anemone nemorosa and A. ranunculoides, found on Österlen in southern Sweden. Originally circulated simply as the bracteate Swedish form, it was subsequently given the cultivar name ‘Stiby’. 

What sets ‘Stiby’ apart from ordinary A. × lipsiensis is its wonderfully bracteate habit. The flowers are pale lemon-yellow, but some of the outer flower segments become partly transformed into leaf-like structures, producing an irregular, slightly eccentric appearance. In other words, it cannot quite decide whether it wants to be a flower or a leaf — and we rather like it for that.

The foliage is deeply divided into finger-like lobes, with one principal leaf per petiole, and the plant spreads by dark, creeping rhizomes. The flowers are around 2 cm across and can remain attractive for considerably longer than those of many spring anemones, particularly in cool weather. 

Compared with the type A. × lipsiensis, which generally has more conventional pale yellow flowers intermediate between its two parents, ‘Stiby’ is lighter coloured and distinctly bracteate, with some floral segments flaring out as leaf-like extensions. That oddity makes it an especially good plant for the collector — perfectly recognisable once you know what you are looking for.

Give it moist, humus-rich soil in partial or deciduous shade. Like its parents, it is a spring ephemeral, flowering before the woodland canopy closes and then retreating underground for summer.

H6 –15 to –20°C
Height: 10–20 cm
Spread: 30–50 cm
Flowers: March–April
Soil: Moist, humus-rich and well drained
Aspect: Partial or deciduous shade
Flowers: Pale lemon-yellow
Distinctive feature: Bracteate flowers, with some segments becoming leaf-like
Origin: Österlen, Sweden
Hybrid: A. nemorosa × A. ranunculoides
Introduction: Originally circulated as a bracteate Swedish form; later named ‘Stiby’