Snowdrop anemone
Anemone sylvestris ·
Pure white, scented, nodding cups in late spring, followed by woolly seed heads. It runs gently to make a patch in light shade.
- Size
- 16 in tall, 18 in wide
- Zones
- 3 to 8
- Light
- Part sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Early May to late May
- Pets
- Toxic (mild)
- Job in a bed
- Drift
A bed built around snowdrop anemone
The planner designed this bed around snowdrop anemone when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) English border in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why snowdrop anemone stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Snowdrop anemone × 8, white
- 2 Leadwort × 13, blue
- 3 Coral bells 'Firefly' × 8, red
- 4 Coneflower 'Magnus' × 3, pink
- 5 Brown-eyed Susan × 5, yellow
- 6 Inkberry 'Gem Box' × 1, dark green leaves
- 7 Daffodil × 8, orange
- 8 Spring starflower × 12, blue
Why this plant
- The only open bowls. The others are dense clusters, airy sprays, daisies and others. Shape reads at a distance, where colours blur.
- The only white. White sits between stronger colours and calms them.
Why here
- Near the front. At 16 in it is the step between coral bells 'Firefly' (10 in) in front and inkberry 'Gem Box' (2½ ft) behind: each is seen over the one before.
- 8 plants in 2 groups (5 and 3). Seen again further along, the same plant ties the bed together.
Why now
- In flower for five weeks. From early May to late May.
- Fills a gap. For two of those weeks nothing else on the plan is in flower.
Planned as an English border: 5 of the 7 groups (71%) are drifts, longer along the bed than they are deep. Brown-eyed Susan and coneflower 'Magnus' anchor the back corners of the bed: the tallest plants on the plan stand there. Coral bells 'Firefly' and leadwort finish the front edge.
The planner's own design check: 11 Excellent, 6 Good. It flags one thing to watch: Nothing on this plan is highly poisonous or an aggressive spreader.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where snowdrop anemone goes in a border
At 16 in it belongs at the front of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is short (12 to 18 in).
Its job: drift. Planted in a small group of three or five, and repeated further along in the other number.
A white carpet for the gap between bulbs and summer perennials. It spreads in loose soil, so plant it where a colony is welcome, among sturdy neighbours such as hostas.
- White spring flowers under shrubs
- Woodland edges
- Groundcover among later perennials
What to plant with snowdrop anemone
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Hosta: its green leaves are a setting for the flowers, before and after; bold leaves against its medium ones; spires rising out of its mound.
- Bleeding heart: in flower together for five weeks, from early May; tall enough (2½ ft) to stand behind it; happy in the same moist soil.
- Lenten rose: in flower together for two weeks, from early May; bold leaves against its medium ones.
Questions about snowdrop anemone
Does snowdrop anemone need sun or shade?
Snowdrop anemone grows in part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants soil that stays evenly moist, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does snowdrop anemone grow in?
USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).
Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
When does snowdrop anemone flower in my zone?
In zone 5 it flowers early May to late May. As a spring flower it moves about a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer, later where it is colder.
| Zone 3 | Mid May to mid June |
|---|---|
| Zone 4 | Early May to early June |
| Zone 5 | Early May to late May |
| Zone 6 | Late April to late May |
| Zone 7 | Mid April to mid May |
| Zone 8 | Mid April to early May |
Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.
How far apart should snowdrop anemone be planted?
12 in (30 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 18 in (45 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 16 in (40 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many snowdrop anemone plants do I need?
At 12 in apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 12 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 11 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 38 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.
In the bed above, the planner used eight in two groups.
Is snowdrop anemone poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: mild toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. The sap can irritate skin, and all parts cause mouth and stomach upset if eaten.
Is there a pet-safe plant like snowdrop anemone?
These come closest to doing what snowdrop anemone does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Woodland phlox: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 4 in shorter.
- Creeping Jacob's ladder: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; blue, not white, fine leaves, not medium.
- Shooting star: the same job in a bed, the same flowering time and the same colour; 4 in narrower, wants average soil.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Will snowdrop anemone spread?
It spreads sideways, by runners or roots; the risk of it taking over is moderate. Spreads by underground runners and can crowd its neighbours. Dig out the edges or divide every 2 to 3 years.
What flowers after snowdrop anemone?
Snowdrop anemone is over by late May. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:
- Lady's mantle: from late May to early July, 18 in tall.
- Astilbe: from late June to mid July, 24 in tall.
- Daylily: from late June to early August, 2½ ft tall.
What does snowdrop anemone look like in winter?
Snowdrop anemone dies down to the ground and there is nothing to see until spring. The old stems can be cut in autumn, or left until spring as shelter for overwintering insects.
More Anemone
- Anemone 'Wild Swan' Anemone 'Wild Swan'
- Canada anemone Anemone canadensis
- Grape-leaf anemone 'Robustissima' Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima'
- Grecian windflower Anemone blanda
- Japanese anemone Anemone x hybrida
- Japanese anemone 'Honorine Jobert' Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert'
- Japanese anemone 'September Charm' Anemone x hybrida 'September Charm'
- Wood anemone Anemone nemorosa
In these guides
Zone guides: Zone 3 · Zone 4 · Zone 5 · Zone 6 · Zone 7 · Zone 8
In flower in: May
Every fact on record
- Type
- Perennial
- Size
- 16 in (40 cm) tall, 18 in (45 cm) wide
- Plant
- 12 in (30 cm) apart
- Height class
- Short (12 to 18 in)
- Place in the bed
- Front
- Flowers
- Early May to late May; open bowls; white
- Leaves
- Medium texture, herbaceous; green
- Shape
- Mounding, spreading
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 3 to 8
- Light
- Part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, evenly moist
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
Not yet checked against an outside reference: its figures rest on general horticultural knowledge. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.