The autumn anemone, also written autumn anemone, has the Latin name Anemone hupehensis and is one of the most beautiful and popular late summer and autumn flowers in the hobby garden. Depending on the variety, their blooms delight the senses either from July or from September, and then last into October with the right care. Speaking of care – do you know how to properly care for your autumn anemones? Because despite their undemanding nature, winter hardiness and amazing adaptability, the pretty autumn anemones are not without a few special care requirements. You can find out what these are in today’s post.
Take care of autumn anemones and fill the garden with magnificent color spectacles every year
These exotic ornamental plants feed bees and other pollinators well into late fall
Find the ideal location for the anemones in the garden
Autumn anemones are native to the grasslands and mountainous regions of East and Southeast Asia. Its Latin name Anemone hupehensis literally means “Anemone from Hupeh”. It is believed that the ornamental plant originally came from the Chinese provinces and later became wild.
Due to their worldwide popularity and astonishing adaptability, autumn anemones have actually spread to almost the entire Asian continent and increasingly to Europe and South America. Outside of East and Southeast Asia, however, the plant is considered invasive.
Even in our domestic hobby gardens, this little flower, which at first glance seems delicate and sensitive, can overgrow beds almost as quickly and aggressively as a real weed. When this is fully intentional, all you have to do is properly care for your autumn anemones and provide them with the perfect care and living conditions.
Anemones do not have any special requirements when it comes to the location. They prefer a full sun location, but also tolerate light penumbra. These ornamental plants should not be planted in full shade, as they will then have fewer lush flowers and will not survive the winter frosts as well.
Autumn anemones are extremely easy to care for, but not entirely undemanding
Anemone japonica is the most popular cultivated variety, originally from Japan
The special soil requirements of the autumn anemone
Autumn anemones have some special soil quality requirements. These decorative ornamental plants form a densely branched, fibrous, subterranean rhizome root system that requires loose, nutrient-rich, humus-rich, and well-drained soil for propagation.
The best time to plant is in spring, when all danger of frost has passed. Before planting, the hole should be patched with either mature compost, worm castings or well-rotted manure. A slightly acidic pH between 5.8 and 6.2 is good for the anemone. Do a soil test to determine this.
During periods of active growth and warm temperatures, the soil around the autumn anemone should always remain slightly moist with regular but moderate watering. It is better not to water from above, but at the foot of the plant and pay attention to the amount of water. Less is more here! Anemones can tolerate neither drought nor waterlogging.
Anemones truly come in all colors of the rainbow
The abundance, shape and size of the flowers can vary greatly depending on the variety and hybrid
Autumn anemones care with which fertilizer and when
If you have planted your autumn anemones in fertile soil that has been supplemented with mulch, worm castings or manure, then additional fertilization will not be necessary for the first few years.
Note, however, that young plants in particular draw more nutrients from the soil than fully grown specimens during active growth phases. If you suddenly notice that your autumn anemones aren’t growing as vigorously or carrying as many buds as they used to, give them a little boost of energy.
You can apply ordinary flower fertilizer or perennial slow-release fertilizer from the garden center according to the product packaging. Alternatively, you can mulch around the plants again with mature compost, worm castings or well-rotted manure. Monthly watering with worm tea or compost tea can do wonders for your late summer and fall bloomers.
It is definitely worth doing a thorough soil test every 5-6 years
So you don’t have to spend money on fertilizer unnecessarily
Properly multiply and plant anemones
If you take good care of your autumn anemones, they will multiply rapidly without any additional help. However, if you want to plant them in another bed as well, or someone has asked you for a cutting, then you will need to do a little extra gardening.
The best propagation method is by root cuttings. To do this, simply poke out a stolon with a flower trowel, separate it from the root ball of the mother plant and transplant it to an already prepared new place as soon as possible.
If all care requirements are met and the weather conditions are also optimal, a young autumn anemone planted in spring can already bear the first flowers in autumn. However, in the first two years of life, their root system is not fully developed. The young plants are therefore more sensitive to cold than the fully grown ones.
Therefore, as soon as the temperatures start to drop, it is advisable to protect the young autumn anemones from snow and ice with a thick layer of autumn leaves and twigs. Even the youngest of your ornamental plants can easily withstand temperatures down to -20 degrees.
Adult autumn anemones are practically indestructible
If you take good care of your autumn anemones, you will reward these Asian ornamental plants with more and more lush blooms year after year. This delights the senses with a true spectacle of colors until late autumn and transforms your entire garden into a feast for the eyes. We hope our tips are helpful to you.
If you take good care of your autumn anemones, your efforts will be amply rewarded
The perfect cut flowers for all kinds of occasions
