Anemone cylindrica

aboriginal to the Canadian province I grow up in , and every province I ’ve lived in since , cd windflower is one of those on the face of it run-of-the-mine plants that I would recognize everywhere but never took much notice of beyond that .

My sibling and I used the seed frivolity to line the layer of the baby mouse we found .

But after doing a bit of enquiry , I bring in our mouse layer fluff was from theAA same plant I fancy on almost every hike in the backcountry of British Columbia and Alberta .

A close up horizontal image of a greenish white candle anemone aka long-fruited thimbleweed flower pictured on a soft focus background.

Photo by Salicyna, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.

It seemed to be everywhere , whether as a delicate prime lend a splatter of white to awildflower meadow ’s kaleidoscope of color , or a few fluffy seeds clinging to a dry stem on a impractical ridgepole .

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Its robustness render well into the garden –   it is a delicate calculate works that is surprisingly easy to rise . Plus , taper windflower is easy on the eyes .

Three white blooms of candle anemones growing in a wildflower meadow.

Photo by Salicyna, Wikimedia Commons, viaCC BY-SA.

It sport little blossom on tall stems , floating above a ocean of textured leaves , all in shades of green and ashen .

In my view , not all garden plant have to be extremely glossy . Sometimes , a simple lustrelessness of green dotted with elevated white bloom is a treat for old-hat optic .

If you concord , read on to find out how to grow and incorporateAnemone cylindricainto your garden .

A close up vertical image of a candle anemone (Anemone cylindrica) flower with foliage in soft focus in the background. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Here ’s what I ’ll plow :

What You’ll Learn

Quick Look

How to Grow

Where to Buy

A close up horizontal image of a hoverfly feeding on the pollen of Anemone cylindrica pictured on a soft focus background.

Maintenance

Propagation

Pests and Disease

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of candle anemone aka long-fruited thimbleweed growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine.

Best Uses

This unobtrusive plant does n’t produce the showy efflorescence mostAnemonespecies are known for .

However , it does feature a variety of textures , and year - round interest , with its small snowy flowers layer over green , deeply lobate parting , and long seed heads that blow up into woolly white fluff .

Article image

Common name(s):Candle windflower , thimbleweed , long fruited thimbleweed

Plant type : Herbaceous flowering perennial

Hardiness ( USDA Zone):3 - 8

A close up vertical image of candle anemone flowers growing wild pictured on a soft focus background.

Native to : Canada , North America

prime time : Summer

Exposure : Full sun to part shade

A close up horizontal image of a flower and bud of Anemone cylindrica isolated on a green background.

grime type : sandlike , loamy , well enfeeble

dirt pH:6.0 - 8.5 , slightly acidic to alkaline

Spacing : 3 - 6 inches

Three white blooms of candle anemones growing in a wildflower meadow.

Planting profundity : Surface sow ( seed ) , depth of base ball ( transplants )

Mature size:27 - 60 inch wide x 12 - 24 inches high

Water Needs : scurvy

Taxonomy

Order : order Ranales

crime syndicate : Ranunculaceae

Genus : Anemone

Species : Cylindrica

Candle windflower is also known as thimbleweed , but this common name isused forA. virginianaas well , so to slim confusion , A. cylindricais also called long fruited thimbleweed .

Its namesake : the cylindrical , thimble - shaped seed head that produce twice as long as they are broad , and are classifiable from those of other anemone species .

As a penis of the Ranunculaceae ( buttercup ) family , cd anemone is toxic to mammal , to be certain to keep kid and deary from snacking on it !

The Omaha and Ponca tribes considered this native to be a medicinal works and combated the lip - tingling perniciousness by cooking serving of the plant to use for treating a variety of ailments .

A wash made from the boil and lumber roots was used on wounds for its antiseptic timber , leaf poultices were used for soothing burn , and root teas were administrate for cephalalgia and lightheadedness .

Candle anemone is a perennial prairie plant , native to Canada and the continental US , with   fibrous root , sometimes producing short rhizomes . It thrive in juiceless open woods , incline , grass , and wayside .

Beneficial dirt ball such as tiny nativebeesand hoverflies jaw the pocket-size flowers for their pollen .

standard candle anemones are well - suit to low - criminal maintenance landscapes , wild flower gardens , and domesticate options . These perennials fly high in prairie - like conditions , showing off creamy - white efflorescence in former bounce to summertime follow by classifiable thimble - work come heads .

With the good conditions , these rugged plants practically manage for themselves and will bloom with dark-green white flowers from the middle of spring to the end of summertime .

Here ’s what you need to bang to ensure success :

Light

Candle anemones boom in full sun and will produce the most robust blossom when they receive at least six hours of verbatim sunshine per day . In louche blot , plants may become leggy and flower production can get .

While they can tolerate partial shade , especially in raging southern climates , aim for a sunny location whenever potential .

Soil

These prairie natives are well adapted to poor , dry , and rocky soils , though they grow best in loose , well - draining background . Heavy clay can be a trouble , particularly if drain is poor .

If necessary , amend your grime with compost to improve drainage . They opt a filth pH that is gently acidic to slightly alkaline , typically between 6.0 and 8.5 .

Temperature and Humidity

Candle anemones are hardy in USDA Zones 3 to 8 , and they can withstand cold winters without hassle . These plant prefer dry atmosphere and are well suited to prairie or steppe conditions .

High humidity combined with poor air circulation can increase the endangerment of fungal way out , so avoid overcrowd them in garden beds .

Water

A.cylindrica is drouth tolerant , and really prefers drier , unfastened areas . To decide when water is needed , check the soil about one or two inch down .

If the soil feel dry you may water , but if the soil is damp do n’t chafe because it wo n’t be appreciated .

In the absence of rain , pee when the soil is dry to a deepness of two inches .

Fertilizer

These flora are not heavy feeders and broadly speaking do not require fertilization .

If your soil is particularly poor , you’re able to comprise some well - rotted compost or a balanced , tedious - handout fertilizer in the leaping .

Avoid high - nitrogen formulas , which may promote leggy outgrowth at the disbursement of flowers .

There are no cultivated form ofA. cylindrica , and it can be hard to find these plant in your local garden centre .

A. cylindricaSeeds

you could find source in a form of packet sizesavailable from Everwilde Farms via Amazon .

These flora will develop through the season and go inactive in the winter without much aid with respect todeadheadingor trimming .

Once they do die back , you could hit the dead foliage if you wish . But the cottony seed heads can last throughout the winter , adding some involvement to your garden through dormancy .

You ’ll desire more than one of these plant : group plantings are howA. cylindricashines out in the garden .

In nature , candela anemone rely chiefly on diffusion of their cum by the wind for multiplication . However , mature plants can be divided and they can also produce starting time from their poor rhizomes .

From Seed

Since these industrial plant reckon great in big group , sometimes even together with other anemones , you’re able to allow them to spread their own ejaculate for a naturalized group .

Or you’re able to gather the seeds once they ’re flossy and dry , and before they are circulate by the wind .

If you settle to garner and pull through seeds , spread out the fluff on a tray out of lineal sun and allow it to dry out out well . Carefully take away the fluff from the source and memory in a nerveless , juiceless , dark place .

The seeds involve a menstruum of at least 90 day of cold social stratification to bourgeon . The well-to-do way to pass around via seed is to seed them out into your garden in the fall and allow the wintertime to do the work for you .

Here ’s how :

After 20 - 25 days , you should see little unripened plant jab through the soil !

Once the little plant have three or four true , palm-shaped ( lob ) and healthy green leaves , cautiously remove the seedling and transplantation into your garden as discussed below .

By Division

Candle windflower give rise a mass of fibrous roots which can be divided into two or three new plants after several years of maturation .

To divide into Modern works , prod up your fledged clump in the early outflow . Carefully divide the maze of beginning to make new plant life , each with their own crown and mass of roots . See below for specific transplanting instructions .

Candle sea anemone will sometimes multiply vegetatively by grow offsets of its curt rootstock . These new plants can be separated from the parent and moved , or you could let them disperse course .

Learn to separate perennialsin our guide .

Transplanting

Though they are not unmanageable to grow , candle anemones may not answer well to transplanting .

First , make certain you are planting in territory that drains well . They are prairie plants that do well in siccative dirt , and do n’t appreciate squiffy foundation .

Some nurseries ship or provide sleeping , simple root plants pack in peat moss that you’re able to order in the spring or nightfall , and plant immediately provided the dirt is not frozen .

These command apply to both dormant unembellished root industrial plant and industrial plant you divide .

If you are planting your own seedlings , transplant in the spring after all risk of exposure of frost has passed . Always loosen the ground in the hole you drudge to leave the roots to advertize into their new home .

cautiously remove the flora from its tray and enter into the trap , lightly backfill , and water lightly .

This plant is deer and rabbit tolerant , and rarely has issues with foliar disease .

If any bug or slug pass upon the plants and give them a chewing , you may simply remove them by hand . snack pests might let in slug or snail , and we ’ve get an article specifically onhow to protect your garden from gastropod .

If the works are looking sick , with pale or yellowish leave , the stem are likely stand . The most common reason for this is overwatering . If you are providing supplementary piss , reduce the frequency and amount or blockade watering all .

Provide these plants with well draining soil from the beginning , and always chink filth moisture before tearing .

you may get wind more about plague and diseases in ourguide to growing anemones .

BecauseA. cylindricaisn’t a very showy plant , it looks best engraft in large groups , used as a bedding industrial plant and for mete , as a beautifully textured green ground cover , or as a specimen plant .

Plant this anemone in open area , timberland , and naturalized field .

Easy on the Eyes, Easy to Grow

Candle anemone is an unnoticeable plant all around , being both abject maintenance and blending into the garden with shades of gullible and white .

But it has some standout qualities , providing solid food for bee and other beneficial insects , summate layers and texture to the garden , and providing wintertime interest with its tuft of downy seeded player .

And for more entropy ongrowing anemonesin your garden , curb out these guides next :

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Originally published June 10th , 2021 . Last updated May 1st , 2025 . Product photo via Everwilde Farms . Uncredited pic : Shutterstock .

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Sylvia Dekker