Anemone Coronaria ( Windflower, Poppy Anemone, Crown Windflower, Spanish Marigold )

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The Anemone Coronaria is often overlooked by a lot of gardeners, usually, they are grown for cut flowers but they do look wonderful in a flower garden. As these flowers do not grow that tall and tend to produce a lot of flowers they are excellent for small flower borders or gardens. The Anemone Coronaria has several names like Anemone Coronaria De Caen (Anemone Coronaria), Poppy Anemone, Windflower, Crown Windflower, and Spanish Marigold.

Characteristics: Perennial Bulb
Hardiness Zone: Zones 7-10
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Requirements: Moderate
Drought Tolerance: No
Height And Spread: Height 10 – 24 inches ( 25cm – 60 cm ), Spread 7 – 9 inches ( 18cm – 23cm )
Flowering Period: April – June, August – October
Planting: Easy
Staking: No
Deadheading: No
Propagation: Dividing bulbs, Seeds
Self Seeding: Yes
Deer Tolerance: Yes
Rabbit Tolerance: Yes
Toxicity: Highly
Pests: Slugs, Snails
Diseases: Powdery Mildew
Indoor Care: Easy
Soil Needs And Ph: Loam, Sand, Chalk, Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Invasive: Yes
Pots And Containers: Yes

Although there are several cultivars for Anemone Coronaria you are most likely are going to find only two in your area De Caen and St. Brigid. The De Caen types look like poppies and the St. Brigid ones have double flowers. If you want some taller flowers for that wow factor then you should check out my recent article Oriental Lily ( Oriental Hybrid Lilies ).

Anemone Coronaria Characteristics

Anemone Coronaria is part of the Anemone or Windflower family, these are perennial bulbs although you can grow them from seed as well. If you are planting bulbs you should soak them in water for a couple of hours, this way they can absorb as much water as they need and they will have a better chance of survival than without soaking. If you are wondering why some of your plants get leggy then check out my recent article Why Plants Get Leggy? ( Top 4 Reasons ).

Anemone Coronaria Hardiness Zone

The Anemone Coronaria is hardy between zones 7-10, in these zones they are considered perennials which means that they will come back every year. In zones outside 7-10 you can still grow them but as an annual plant, which means that you have to dig them up in the autumn and replant them in the spring.

Anemone Coronaria Sun Requirements

Anemone Coronaria requires full sun, although in hotter environments you can definitely grow them in partial shade. The one thing that they do not tolerate is full shade, oftentimes the plants will get stunted and rarely produce any flowers. Even in hotter environments, you should ideally let them get at least a couple of hours of morning sun. If you are searching for a beautiful small flowering plant then check out my recent article Winter Aconite ( Eranthis Hyemalis Zones 4-7 ).

Anemone Coronaria Water Requirements

The Anemone Coronaria has moderate water requirements, but it tends to be sensitive to overwatering. Once it starts flowering it is a good idea to give them some extra water, but other than that just water them as you do all your plants.

Anemone Coronaria Drought Tolerance

The Anemone Coronaria has some drought tolerance, but it really depends on the geographic location. In the northern parts of the county, it will tolerate drought for some time, but in hotter climates, it will get stressed out if it doesn’t get enough water especially when flowering.

Anemone Coronaria Height And Spread

The height of the Anemone Coronaria is around 10 – 24 inches ( 25cm – 60 cm ), its spread is around 7 – 9 inches ( 18cm – 23cm ). These flowers look the best when you plant the bulbs in bigger clumps, and the ideal place for them is in the middle of the flower border.

Anemone Coronaria Flowering Period

The Anemone Coronaria flowers twice per year, it not only provides spring interest but also beautiful flowers in the fall as well. It tends to bloom between April and June for the first time, and the second time in August or October.

Anemone Coronaria Planting

Before planting the Anemone Coronaria bulbs you have to soak them in lukewarm water for 4-6 hours, and you will notice that the bulbs will swell up. Just a word of caution, it is better to soak it less than to soak them for too long like leaving it overnight in water. Once they are soaked dig a small hole a couple of inches deep and plant the bulb. As the bulbs are rather small it doesn’t really matter which side will be up.

After this fill in the hole with garden compost or garden soil, and if you have soaked the bulbs then you can skip watering it. You can plant the bulbs without soaking them, just make sure to water them well after you have planted them.

Anemone Coronaria Staking

The Anemone Coronaria does not need any staking, they do not grow that tall and their stems tend to be relatively strong.

Anemone Coronaria Deadheading

The Anemone Coronaria doesn’t need deadheading, the spent flowers will simply shrivel up in a matter of days and you won’t even see them. On the other hand, if you want to force it to make more flowers then you can deadhead.

Anemone Coronaria Propagation

The Anemone Coronaria can be propagated by dividing bulbs or by collecting seeds. This plant is extremely good at naturalizing, so even if you do not propagate it then they will still spread around. Once the plant is around 2-3 years old then it probably has made several smaller bulbs, just dig up the plant and divide the bulbs.

Anemone Coronaria Self Seeding

The Anemone Coronaria tends to self-seed, which is a big plus for some people but not all. In areas where it tends to do extremely well, it can self-seed like crazy, and keep in mind that this plant is considered to be invasive in many parts of the country.

Anemone Coronaria Deer Tolerance

For the most part, deer will ignore the Anemone Coronaria, this goes both for the plant and for its flowers as well.

Anemone Coronaria Rabbit Tolerance

Rabbits will also leave the Anemone Coronaria alone.

Anemone Coronaria Toxicity

The Anemone Coronaria is extremely toxic, it even causes pain in the mouth if eaten. All parts of this plant are toxic from the flowers to the bulbs. So if you have small children or pets that tend to dig up the garden and eat everything then you should avoid it.

Anemone Coronaria Pests

Most pests keep away from the Anemone Coronaria although slugs and snails will go for it. This is especially true if the plant is stressed out or rather young, so keep an eye on it for a couple of weeks.

Anemone Coronaria Diseases

For the most part then Anemone Coronaria are relatively safe from most diseases, but powdery mildew can be an issue in some cases.

Anemone Coronaria Indoor Care

Although the Anemone Coronaria would grow better in the garden but you can grow them indoors as well. The one thing to keep in mind while keeping this plant indoors is that it needs a lot of sun, so place it next to a window that gets plenty of direct sunlight.

Anemone Coronaria Soil Needs And Ph

One of the reasons why the Anemone Coronaria is so popular is because it can grow in any soil and Ph. It will even grow in clay soil as long as the soil isn’t too waterlogged.

Is The Anemone Coronaria Invasive?

The Anemone Coronaria is considered to be invasive in many parts of the world, so make sure to check the list of invasive plants in your area before planting.

Can The Anemone Coronaria Be Grown In Pots And Containers?

Yes, you can grow the Anemone Coronaria in pots and containers, as long as it gets plenty of full sun and plenty of water it should thrive.

Can I Grow Anemone Coronaria In My State?

You can grow Anemone Coronaria in every state, if you are in zones 7-10 then you can grow them as perennials. If you are outside of these zones then you have to treat them as annuals meaning you have to dig them up in the fall and replant them in the spring. If you do not know what your hardiness zone is then check out the USDA hardiness zones.

State Hardiness Zone Can I Grow It?
Alabama 7a to 9a Yes, In The Entire State
Alaska 1a to 8b Yes, In Zones 7-8
Arizona 4b to 10b Yes In Zones 7-10
Arkansas 6b to 8a Yes, In The Entire State
California 5a to 11b Yes, In Zones 7-10
Colorado 3a to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Connecticut 5b to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Delaware 7a to 7b Yes, In The Entire State
Florida 8 to 11 Yes, In Zomes 8-10
Georgia 6a to 9a Yes, In The Entire State
Hawaii 9a to 13a Yes, In Zones 9-10
Idaho 3 to 7 Yes, In Zone 7
Illinois 5a to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Indiana 5b to 6b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Iowa 4b to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Kansas 5a to 6b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Idaho 1a to 8b Yes, In Zones 7-8
Kentucky 6a to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Louisiana 8 to 9 Yes, In The Entire State
Idaho 1a to 8b Yes, In Zones 7-8
Maine 3 to 6 Yes, As An Annual Plant
Maryland 5b to 8a Yes, In Zones 7-8
Massachusetts 5a to 7b Yes, In Zone 7
Michigan 4a to 6b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Minnesota 3a to 5a Yes, As An Annual Plant
Mississippi 7b to 9a Yes, In The Entire State
Missouri 5b to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Montana 3a to 6a Yes, As An Annual Plant
Nebraska 4b to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Nevada 4a to 10a Yes, In Zones 7-10
New Hampshire 3b to 6a Yes, As An Annual Plant
New Jersey 6a to 7b Yes, In Zone 7
New Mexico 4 to 9 Yes, In Zones 7-9
New York 3b to 7b Yes, In Zone 7
North Carolina 5b to 8b Yes, In Zones 7-8
North Dakota 2b to 6a Yes, As An Annual Plant
Ohio 5b to 6b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Oklahoma 6a to 8a Yes, In Zones 7-8
Oregon 4b to 9b Yes, In Zones 7-9
Pennsylvania 5b to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Rhode Island 5b to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
South Carolina 7a to 9a Yes, In The Entire State
South Dakota 3b to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Tennessee 5b to 8a Yes, In Zones 7-8
Texas 6a to 9b Yes, In Zones 7-9
Utah 4a to 9a Yes, In Zones 7-9
Vermont 3b to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Virginia 5a to 8a Yes, In Zones 7-8
Washington 4a to 9a Yes, In Zones 7-9
West Virginia 5a to 7a Yes, In Zone 7
Wisconsin 3b to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant
Wyoming 2a to 5b Yes, As An Annual Plant

In Conclusion

As you can see the Anemone Coronaria is a relatively carefree plant with two different flowering periods and beautiful flowers. With that being said it tends to be invasive, so make sure to check the list of invasive plants in your area.