Anemone Royal Blush - Japanese Anemone

Anemone 'Royal Blush' is a new Japanese anemone with single flowers in flat cups, carried by sturdy, medium-height stems. They are soft pink and bloom from August to October. The floriferous and elegant Japanese anemone sways its flowers in the gentle sun, in partial shade or shade, in moist, humus-bearing soil that is not too chalky.

The 'Royal Blush' Japanese anemone is a particularly floriferous perennial belonging to the ranunculaceae family. Presumably resulting from the cross-breeding between Anemone vitifolia, of Himalayan origin, and Anemone hupehensis, native to central and western China, this 'Royal Blush' variety reaches a height of 70 cm (28in) with a diameter of 40 to 50 cm (16 to 20in). Like other Japanese anemones, it is a perennial plant with fibrous "tubers" that form large, vigorous, and rounded clumps. The foliage is deciduous to semi-evergreen in winter depending on the climate, highly dissected, dark green, strongly veined on the underside, and hairy. Flowering takes place from August-September to November. The flowers are solitary, carried by sturdy, slender, and straight stems. They first appear as delightful oval and fluffy, purple buds then open into loose, flared cups. They are light and soft pink with a wide crown of yellow-orange stamens. The edges of the petals are edged with white on this variety. Japanese anemones can live for decades in the same location.

A beautiful representative of autumn, 'Royal Blush' Japanese anemone is reliable and robust. It combines its elegant flowering with the grace of Aster cordifolius 'Blue Heaven' and the nostalgic charm of perennial chrysanthemums. 'Royal Blush' anemone is of medium height, ideal in the middle of a flowerbed or in a pot on the terrace. In late summer, alongside Sedums, Gauras, Echinaceas, and a few clumps of ornamental grasses, it brings life to a natural flowerbed. It can be invasive if it likes its surroundings and it readily self-seeds. It is quite easy to limit its spread.

Several dozen perennial or bulbous species with very different needs and behaviours make up this genus. These plants all possess a touching simplicity that gives them charm and makes them essential in a garden. Cultivars derived from A. h. var. japonica have many more petals than the species.