Canada Anemone Is a Spring-Blooming Ground Cover with Deer Resistance
Canada anemone works as a rugged space-filling ground cover in gardens with full sun or part shade.
A native plant across Canada and throughout much of the United States, Canada anemone (Anemone canadensis) is a pretty but rugged perennial that can serve as a ground cover in full sun or part shade. Resistant to rabbits and deer, it blooms in late spring, attracting small bees. It can be an enthusiastic spreader, so it should not be paired with weaker growers or expected to stay in place.
Common name: Canada anemone
Botanical name: Anemone canadensis
Origin: Anemone canadensis is native to damp meadows, shorelines and ditches across Canada and throughout the Northeast, Midwest, Mid-Atlantic and Interior West regions of the United States.
Flowers: Five-petaled white flowers with gold-and-green centers appear from late spring to early summer. The flowers open from pearly buds held on upright stems.
Foliage: Medium green and maple-like in shape, with long, narrow lobes.
Size and habit: This is an herbaceous ground cover that stands 12 inches tall and spreads by rhizomes to fill available space. Be aware that where happy it can make a sizable colony. Plant it where you don't mind its spread and/or plant it with equally strong-growing companions, because it will likely outcompete more delicate or slow-growing perennials. Try it as a carpet around trees and shrubs.
Growing Canada anemone
Exposure: Full sun to part shade
How to grow it: Plant this spring-blooming anemone in full sun to part shade and well-drained moderate to moist soil. Avoid areas with dry soil or periodic standing water. If flowering diminishes after a few years, dig and divide clumps to thin the patch. Because this is a spring bloomer, the time for division is fall. USDA Zones 3–8.
