The Anemone coronaria is native to the Mediterranean area. It is a perennial from the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is commonly named crown windflower, poppy flowered anemone or garden anemone.
The name "Anemone" is derived from the Greek word "anemos" which means wind. "Coronaria" is Latin for crown.
The Anemone coronaria ‘De Caen Hollandia’ is a tuber and a perennial in the Dutch climate. In colder regions this is an annual. The tuber looks more like a thickened root and it is hard to tell which side is up. When in doubt you can plant the tuber on its side. The tuber slowly grows bigger over time.
You can plant the tubers in the autumn and the spring. By soaking the tubers in a bowl of water for about 12 hours before planting you will get a better bloom. The roots will be able to penetrate the tuber skin more easily this way. If you plant the tubers in the spring at intervals of a few weeks, you can enjoy the bloom longer. If you plant the tubers in the autumn or if you leave them in the ground during the winter, they will flower in April/May. Removing the spent flowers will extend the blooming period of the crown windflower.
Fairly quickly after blooming, the leaves die back and at the end of August they reappear. That means that this is a wintergreen plant that newly emerges every year. After several years the tubers disappear and you will have to plant new ones.
I do not dig up the tubers and let nature take its course. They have a sheltered and sunny spot in my garden and survive the winters well.
The flowers are suitable for cutting and the plant is good for rock gardens and moist areas. Because the leaves die back after bloom it is nice to combine the crown windflower with plants that emerge later in the year.
Each evening the flowers close and they only fully open if it is sunny.
Attracts bees: no
Characteristic: newly emerging every year
Exposure: sun/part shade
Flower colour: red
Flowering time: April – May
Foliage colour: green
Fragrant flower: no
Hardiness: -10 ºC/14 ºF
Height: 30 cm/12 inches
Soil: normal/moist