‘Blush’ Japanese Anemone Is a Long-Blooming, Stay-Put Variety
Plant ‘Blush’ Japanese anemone for its months-long display of warm pink flowers, which last well into fall. A dwarf variety, it can be used as edging or in pots.
‘Blush’ Japanese anemone is a newer hybrid of a hardy perennial long admired for its late-season bloom. This cultivar solves several problems associated with fall-blooming anemones. While older varieties tend to spread rampantly by both seed and, especially, rhizomes (underground stems), ‘Blush’ can be trusted to remain very close to its original planting spot. It is also a much more compact plant, and while it lives up to the promise of fall bloom, it begins flowering earlier than other cultivars, with its large pink blossoms opening as early as mid-July.
Common name: Satin Doll ‘Blush’ Japanese anemone
Botanical name: Anemone ‘Blush’
Origin: ‘Blush’ is a hybrid anemone introduced by Terra Nova Nurseries in 2021 as part of its Satin Doll series, which also includes the double-petaled ‘Glow’ and the darker pink ‘Rosé’.
Flowers: Blooming occurs from midsummer through fall, with five-petaled, medium pink flowers opening above the foliage on wiry stems. The rounded petals surround a green button eye ringed by showy golden stamens. Flowering can last for several months, with fresh blossoms opening from deep red buds as older flowers decline.
Foliage: Lustrous and dark green in color, the lobed leaves are similar in shape to those of maple trees.
Size and habit: ‘Blush’ is a dwarf fall-blooming anemone, forming a mound of foliage to nine inches tall and about twice as wide. When the flowers appear, they double the height of the plant.
Growing ‘Blush’ anemone
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
How to grow it: Plant ‘Blush’ Japanese anemone in full sun to part shade and moist but well-drained soil. Consistent moisture is most important in full sun. With more shade, fall-blooming anemones can persist through dry spells once they are established. Some hours of sun are necessary for the most compact growth and heaviest flowering. This perennial will die back in late fall and re-emerge in spring. As a dwarf cultivar, ‘Blush’ can also thrive in a container, with precautions taken for the winter season. USDA Zones 4–9.
