Anemone cylindrica

The Candle Anemone is an elegant perennial plant with deciduous, deeply cut, shiny green foliage. It blooms in summer with cup-shaped, whitish-green flowers and yellow-green stamens, followed by cylindrical fruits that persist until winter. Unlike its woodland cousins, it thrives in the sun, in a cool to dry, sandy or even rocky soil. It forms a clump about 60 cm (24in) tall and 40 cm (16in) wide, perfect for wild gardens or partially shaded rockeries, where it will add interest from summer to winter.

Anemone cylindrica belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. It is native to the North and East of the United States, where it grows in meadows, fallow fields, along roadsides, and in slightly wooded areas with sandy soil. This plant forms an upright clump of stems that reach 60 cm (24in) when in flower, with 30 cm (12in) for the foliage and a spread of 30 cm (12in). It flowers from July to August. The single flowers have no petals but five white sepals with a soft pale yellow centre. The flower centre consists of a small green cone surrounded by numerous golden-yellow stamens. After flowering, the flower head elongates to become a greenish-brown cylindrical spike, measuring between 2 and 4 cm (1 and 2in) in length. This fruit, shaped like a thimble, gives it the common name "Thimbleweed" in English. In autumn and winter, it transforms into a cottony ball filled with small brown seeds. This anemone grows from a caudex, a swollen base stem that acts as a storage organ. The basal leaves form palmate and ramified tufts, covered with a silky white hair coat. Each leaf is divided into 3 to 5 long and pointed lobes, which can sometimes further subdivide.

The Candle Anemone prefers sunny to partially shaded areas, in cool to dry, well-drained soil. It thrives in a natural, wild or alpine garden, in a rockery, on paved gardens, as a border plant, or in a trough. It does not appreciate the proximity of vigorous plants that can smother it. In fact, it produces an allelopathic substance called protoanemonin, which inhibits seed germination and the growth of many plant species, and can be irritating when in contact with the skin. For this reason, it is advisable to wear gloves when handling this plant. Plant Anemone cylindrica alongside late-flowering perennials such as coreopsis, scabious, or gentians for an informal display.