How to Plant Japanese Anemone

Japanese anemone blooms in the fall.

The flowers of Japanese anemone blossom in the fall on the tips of 1- to 4-foot stems. At the base of the plant, there are clusters of dark green lobed leaves covered with soft hairs. Depending on the variety, your plant might bloom in white, pink or red. Although Japanese anemone is slow to establish, once it takes hold, it spreads quickly through its underground tubers. Plant Japanese anemone in partial shade in the fall.

Things You'll Need

• Tubers
• Container
• Garden fork
• Shovel
• Rake
• Compost
• 10-5-10 fertilizer
• Mulch

Instructions

1. Break up the ground and mix the topsoil with organic compost two weeks before planting. Japanese anemones need rich soil that drains well. Rake the area to a smooth bed.

2. Soak the plant's tubers in water for 48 hours. The University of Maryland Cooperative Extension recommends using tubers that are about 2 inches in circumference.

3. Dig planting holes 1 inch deep and 6 inches apart. Put one tuber in each hole. Backfill with the soil you dug out.

4. Water the soil thoroughly. Don't allow the tubers to dry out or to become saturated with water. Water regularly after germination and throughout the growing season.

5. Apply a 10-5-10 fertilizer to the young plants. Use 1 lb. of fertilizer per 100 square feet. If you use a granular formula, water the soil after application.

6. Winterize the plants. After the first hard frost, cover the root area with mulch if winter temperatures consistently drop below minus 10 degrees F.

Tips & Warnings

• According to "Sunset Western Garden Book," all parts of this plant are poisonous if you eat them.

References

• University of Maryland Cooperative Extension Fact Sheet; "Producing Anemone as a Cut Flower;" Stanton Gill
• Colorado State University Cooperative Extension; "Japanese Anemone: Fall Color in the Garden;" Judy Feather; January 5, 2010
• University of Illinois Extension: HortAnswers: Perennial Japanese Anemone
• "Sunset Western Garden Book"; Kathleen Norris Brenzel, ed.; 2001