Japanese anemone

Anemones are essential ingredients in the late summer/autumn garden, adding height and clear colours in shades of purple, pink and white. Grow them in cottage gardens and borders, where they inject plenty of presence to fill the gaps left by perennials.

Recommended varieties

Despite being known as Japanese anemones, the three main species - A. hupehensis , A. vitifolium and A. tomentosa - come from China. These were erroneously called Japanese anemones after one particular form was 'first' recorded near Nagasaki in 1695. By the time the first plants reached the West in 1844, they were already known as A. japonica . Most modern varieties are descended from A . x hybrida .

A. hupehensis 'Hadspen Abundance' : a fairly recent variety in deep lilac-purple with five rounded petals. The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has given it the Award of Garden Merit (AGM).
A. hupehensis 'Bressingham Glow' and 'Prinz Heinrich': these semi-double varieties of A. hupehensis var. japonica have dark purple flowers and typically narrow petals totalling 20 or more. In the late 1800s, there was a double white called 'Couronne Virginale', but it was lost without trace, although there were claims that a French nursery found one. 'Prinz Heinrich' has been given the AGM, too.
A . x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert' : immensely popular, it's a pure white that occurred as a chance mutation on A . x hybrida in the garden of M Jobert, in Verdun, France, in 1858. Its flower stems can reach over 1.8m (6ft) in fertile soil. And the large, simple flowers with golden stamens have a graceful quality that few other blooms possess. It's been awarded the AGM.
A . x hybrida 'Konigin Charlotte': also known as 'Queen Charlotte', this popular variety was bred in Germany in 1898. It has large, semi-double pink flowers with up to 15 broad petals. It's been given the AGM.
A . x hybrida 'Rosenschale': a promising new vigorous variety that produces large, rich pink flowers.
A . x hybrida 'Margarete': the nearest that can be found to a double, this rarely sold anemone has up to 30 narrow, pale purplish-pink petals and a slightly shaggy appearance. It was previously named 'Lady Gilmour'.
A . x hybrida 'Whirlwind': a semi-double form in white, often with an unusual ruff of green and distorted outer petals.
A. tomentosa : not as popular as it was, this traditional variety has copious pale pink blooms and attractive foliage that's greyish-white underneath, especially when young. This plant is first to flower, often in July, well before the hybrids
A. vitifolium : a charming species with white flowers above its vine-like leaves. It's rarely seen in British gardens, as it needs a particularly warm, sheltered position to thrive.

Growing tips

Site and soil preferences

Apart from excessively waterlogged soil, they can thrive in just about anything from chalk to heavy clay, although they prefer damp, limy loam. Like the related wood anemone, Japanese anemones are especially suited to shady corners. Give them plenty of room. After planting, they may take a year or two to give a generous display, but thereafter they improve each year.

Root cuttings

Japanese anemones spread by fibrous underground roots that send up new shoots from tiny buds. This makes them ideal for taking root cuttings in autumn and replanting the following autumn when the ground is moist, either after rain or a thorough watering.

Where possible, leave the parent plant in the ground and simply tease away some soil from the root fibres. Using secateurs, cut the roots into 5cm (2in) lengths, ensuring a pale growth bud is visible on each root section. Lay the sections horizontally on a seed tray of gritty compost and cover with 1cm (1/3in) of sand. This will help to keep the surface free from moss and liverworts.

Finally, place the tray in a sheltered corner outside. New shoots will emerge the following spring. Leave until autumn, and then plant in the garden.

Planting associations

Japanese anemones are extremely effective when planted against a background of dark evergreens or among taller shrubs. Michaelmas daisies, especially the tall, mildew-free Aster novae-angliae , make excellent companions with anemones in rich shades of purple, pink and mauve. The latter can also be mixed with the sunset yellows and coppery orange shades of chrysanthemums, now known as Dendranthema.

Problem solver

Japanese anemones are largely untroubled by pests and diseases, but look out for the leaf eelworm. These microscopic pests live and multiply inside the leaf, causing small sections between the veins to turn brown. They're rarely fatal, but removing badly infected leaves is presently the only control available.