Canada Anemone: A native ground cover for woodland garden
Native bees zero in on Canada Anemone
The Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis) is an ideal choice for a native ground cover that will not only light up the woodland garden in spring when it is in flower, but will also create a lovely textural cover throughout the summer.
I started my little patch from a single plant purchased at the local horticultural society’s annual plant sale. In a few short years, that single plant quickly spread into a good-sized size drift that greets spring with their clear white flowers and yellow centres that can stretch out to be over an inch wide with five sepals held up on long stalks. The flowers stand above the foliage that resembles that of Wild Geranium. New foliage growth emerges a light green giving the plant a fresh look.
The drifts of flowers spread through rhizomes and depending on the soil they either spread quickly in rich, mesic to wet soils, but slower in drier, more well-drained soils. Our soil is definitely dry, but they still spread with great vigour. They can often be seen near sandy dry lakes as well as meadows.
The wildlflower is native to most of eastern North America and is common in the upper midwest and Great Lakes area where I live.
An aerial view shows the flower in both its open and un-open stages as well as the ferny foliage that resembles the foliage of Wild Geranium.
It is a favourite of the early native bees and other pollinators, but our resident rabbits and deer never seem to touch the plants. That could be because they are smart enough to know that all of the parts of the plant are considered toxic.
Making room in our gardens for more and more native plants is vital for the survival of our native fauna, from insects and caterpillars that have developed a relationship with these native plants over centuries, to our native birds that depend on the insects and caterpillars to feed themselves and, even more importantly, their young in the spring when insects are often difficult to find.
They flower about the same time as non-native Epimediums, which enjoy a more shady location. I can see some large drifts of these Canada Anemones growing together with clumps of Epimedium in a part-sun, part shade environment. The ferny foliage would work well with the larger, and more colourful foliage of some Epimedium throughout the summer months, once flowering has ended.
Our little drift will be contributing to more drifts throughout our garden when I transplant some of these original plants to different parts of the garden later this year when the flowering has dried up.
Looking for more information on ground covers? Please check out my other posts on ground covers I use in the woodland garden.
• Bunchberry perfect ground cover for woodland garden
• What is the easiest ground cover to grow?
• Three great ground covers for the woodland garden.
• Creeping thyme as a ground cover
Fall is a good time to transplant them but any time after flowering should be fine, especilly if you are transplanting them in shaded area and give them lots of water to help get them a good start.
These plants may look delicate, but don’t mistake their delicate beauty for weakness, these are a hardy, native ground cover.
Canada Anemones are perennials that grow well in zones 3-8 and reach about a foot tall when in flower.
Like any good ground cover, they are quick to spread and fill in those empty patches in your garden. Plant them in full sun to partial shade for best results and expect blooms from late May into June.
They prefer a wet to medium site but have done well in our dry sandy loam with a layer of mulch to keep the soil cool in the hot sun.
Growing Canada Anemone from seed
Growing these plants from seeds can be difficult.
The seeds actually need double stratification in a cold moist environment before germination and, therefore, could take up to two seasons before plants emerge if seeds are sown directly in the garden in fall.
Best to just get some plants from a friend or a good reputable native plant nursery.
What insects and pollinators are attracted to Canada Anemone
Any native flower that emerges early quickly attracts a host of insect pollinators and the Canada Anemone is no different. Watch for small Carpener Bees, Sweat Bees and Mining Bees visiting the flowers. A host of beetles are also attracted to the flowers, including long-horned and tumbling flower beetles just to name a few.
Obviously, backyard birds will also be checking out the early-blooming flowers for a quick meal of delicious insects.
Making room in our gardens for more and more native plants is vital for the survival of our native fauna, from insects and caterpillars that have developed a relationship with these native plants over centuries, to our native birds that depend on the insects and caterpillars to feed themselves and, even more importantly, their young in the spring when insects are often difficult to find.
Consider replacing non-native ground covers, such as Lilly of the Valley and Periwinkle, with native varieties that perform as well if not better than their non-native counterparts and provide important sources of food for native birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
This grouping of Canada Anemone flowers offer a perfect opportunity to experiment with some selective focus photography.
Another great flower for selective focus
When the Canada Anemone is blooming, it’s time to get out the camera and experiment with a little selective focus. Use a long lens and shoot through the flowers with your lens “opened up” to its widest opening. Now focus on a flower in the distance and let the foreground and background go out of focus.
Experimenting with selective focus on a grouping of Canada Anemone.
You could get a similar effect with a macro lens by allowing the flowers in the foreground to go out of focus while focusing on a more distant flower or grouping of flowers.