How to Identify Thimbleweed

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (0 Ratings)

Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana) is a stout, hairy little wildflower found in many dry areas across the United States. Reaching several feet tall, it is also known as tall anemone, but it gets the name thimbleweed because its fruit resembles little thimbles. Here's some more tips on how to identify this native perennial wildflower.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Wildflower sample
Wildflower reference book

Step1

Observe the plant's location. Thimbleweed likes woodland areas and adapts to a variety of growing conditions. Moist, shaded areas are a favorite growing site.

Step2

Note the wildflower's general appearance. Thimbleweed grows to a height of 2 1/2 feet and is attractive throughout the year. White summer flowers are replaced by the thimble-like seed heads. In the fall, the seedheads become a white cottony mass of seeds that remain throughout the winter.

Step3

Examine the leaves. Large compound leaves can be seen in groups of 2 or 3 at the base of the tall flower stalk. The leaves can reach up to 5 inches long and have 2 or 3 major lobes and a similar number of smaller ones. The color of the leaves is light or yellowish green.

Step4

Evaluate the flower. The flowers bloom from June through August at the tip of tall, 8- to 10-inch high stalks and are about an inch in diameter. The flower is comprised of 5 white or greenish white sepals that look like petals.

Tips & Warnings

Thimbleweed gets its scientific name from "anemone," which is derived from the ancient Greek word anemos meaning "wind." The latter term refers to the fluffy mass of seeds which are distributed by the wind.