New England Wild Flower Society

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Anemone multifida 'Annabella White'

white cut-leaved windflower


Cut-leaved windflower is a species barely found in New England, rarely located in high-pH outcrops in Vermont and Maine, where it stays low, compact, and shallowly rooted. Elsewhere throughout its range in the US and Canada, Anemone multifida grows taller and more robust. The species was selected for its delicate, deeply-toothed foliage and distinctive floral shape, and growers ideveloped cultivars like this one, with a more consistent growth form and coloration than the species. 'Annabella White' is a short, consistently white-blooming cultivar with a yellowish center that spreads rhizomatously or by seed and thrives in sunny, dry conditions.


General Description | Benefits | References


Height: 6-20 in
Spread: 12-16 in
Hardiness Zone: 3-8


Bloom Color: White

Characteristics & Attributes

Cultivation Status
Cultivar
Exposure
Sun
Part Shade
Soil Moisture
Dry
Average
Ecoregion
Not Ecotypic in New England
Ornamental Interest
Summer Bloom
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts Bees
Other Pollinators/Wildlife
Tolerance
Drought Tolerant
Urban Environment
Additional Attributes
Low Maintenance
Landscape Use
Meadow garden
Specimen


North American Distribution


General Description

Bloom Description: The blooms consist of five white to creamy, petal-like sepals that sand on slender, erect, and very hairy stems. The blooms occur in spring and summer, and the plants will often bloom twice if dead-headed.

Growth Habit & Shape: The species is reputedly aggressive in some portions of its range, but in New England soils this cultivar is comparatively well-behaved, forming slowly-broadening clumps over time.

Soil Preferences: Thrives in gritty, well-draining, mostly dry soils, and survives a broad range of soil acidities in spite of the natural species's preference for alkaline conditions.

Root Description: The roots are shallowly rhizomatous.

Garden Uses: Cut-leaved windflower works well near the front of mixed plantings in full sun; its hairy stems and finely cut foliage provide beautiful contrast against more broad-leaved, glossy plants. Consider use in tough, gravely, droughty spots for a touch of alpine style.

Best Management & Maintenance: After flowering and once seed heads begin to develop, cut back flowering stems to induce a second flowering later in the season. Dead-head prior to seed dispersal to control dispersal.

Common Problems: This cultivar is susceptible to root rot and dieback in excessively moist, ill-draining soils, or in locations with insufficient sun.

Benefits

Ornamental Benefits: This is an excellent accent plant with interesting foliage and a lovely, classic-looking bloom. When well-established, this species will bear large, bulbous seed heads reminiscent of unripe wild strawberries, bringing further visual interest as the season presses on.

References

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Photo via Flikr user Peganum ~ licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Photo via Flikr user Peganum ~ licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)