Northwest Blooms · Groundcovers
Anemonoides blanda
Grecian Windflower
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Height
- 4 to 8 in
- Width
- 6 to 10 in
- Flower color
- Bright blue, violet-blue, white, or pale pink, with a contrasting yellow center
- Foliage color
- Medium green, deeply divided, fern-like leaves forming a low, spreading groundcover
- Bloom time
- Early to mid spring
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate moisture
- Maintenance
- Low; remove spent flowers to tidy planting, allow foliage to die back naturally after bloom
- Growing zone
- USDA zones 4 to 8
- Wildlife
- Bees and other early-season pollinators
About this plant
Anemonoides blanda produces cheerful, daisy-like flowers in shades of blue, lavender, pink, or white, each centered with a cluster of golden stamens. The blossoms appear in early to mid spring, rising just above low mounds of finely cut, dark green foliage. Leaves emerge shortly before flowering and form a soft, fernlike carpet that enhances the plant's delicate appearance.
Native to southeastern Europe and western Turkey, this spring-blooming perennial is valued for naturalizing beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. It works well in woodland gardens, along pathways, and in mixed bulb plantings, where it creates broad drifts of early-season color.
Companion plants
Hellebores · Epimediums · Brunneras · Hostas · Ferns · Pulmonarias
Design tip
Incorporate this spring bloomer where summer perennials will later emerge and conceal its fading foliage.
