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 .

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 .

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 .

Here ’s what I ’ll plow :
What You’ll Learn
Quick Look
How to Grow
Where to Buy

Maintenance
Propagation
Pests and Disease

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 .

Common name(s):Candle windflower , thimbleweed , long fruited thimbleweed
Plant type : Herbaceous flowering perennial
Hardiness ( USDA Zone):3 - 8

Native to : Canada , North America
prime time : Summer
Exposure : Full sun to part shade

grime type : sandlike , loamy , well enfeeble
dirt pH:6.0 - 8.5 , slightly acidic to alkaline
Spacing : 3 - 6 inches

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