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Anemonoides quinquefolia

wood anemone

Ranunculaceae Eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant

Native to North America

SunPart Shade – Full Shade

WaterMedium

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Anemonoides quinquefolia is a low spring-flowering perennial 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) tall that spreads by slender, creeping rhizomes into loose woodland colonies. Each stem carries a single whorl of three stalked leaves, each divided so deeply that the leaf appears to have five toothed segments, mid-green and thin. In mid to late spring a single flower rises just above the foliage, 0.75-1.25 inch (2-3 cm) across, with five to nine white, petal-like sepals that are often flushed pink or purple on the back, surrounding a cluster of yellow stamens. The flowers open in sun and close in dull weather and at night. By midsummer the whole plant dies back to the rhizome and is gone until the following spring, making it a true spring ephemeral. A. quinquefolia grows in moist deciduous woods, clearings, and stream banks across eastern North America. It needs the cool, humus-rich conditions of a forest floor and fades where summers are hot and dry.

Native Range

Anemonoides quinquefolia is native to eastern North America, from Quebec and Ontario south to Georgia and west to the Mississippi valley. It grows in moist, deciduous and mixed woodlands, on shaded slopes, and along stream banks in humus-rich soil.

Suggested Uses

Planted in woodland and shade gardens, native plant borders, and naturalised drifts beneath deciduous trees and shrubs. It is used as a spring ground cover that fills gaps before later perennials emerge. The early white flowers suit naturalistic and pollinator shade plantings.

How to Identify

American wood anemone is known by its single white flower of five to nine sepals held above a whorl of three deeply cut leaves on a stem only 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) tall. The leaf divisions make it look five-parted, the source of the name quinquefolia. A. quinquefolia differs from Anemonoides nemorosa, the European wood anemone, in its smaller stature and the deeper division of its leaves, and from rue-anemone in its single rather than clustered flowers.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height4" - 8"

Width/Spread6" - 1'

Reaches mature size in approximately 3 years

Colors

Flower Colors

white

pink

Foliage Colors

green

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Spring

Flowering runs from April to June, soon after the leaves appear and before the woodland canopy closes. Each plant opens one flower that lasts one to two weeks, closing at night and in cloud. After bloom the plant sets a small head of dry seeds and then dies back by midsummer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

mid-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunPartial Shade SunFull Shade

Tolerates up to 4 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam peat

Drainagemoist

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

2-3 years

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grow Anemonoides quinquefolia in partial to full shade in cool, moist, humus-rich soil at a slightly acidic to neutral pH. It is hardy through USDA zones 3 to 8 and suits the dappled light beneath deciduous trees. As a spring ephemeral it makes all its growth early in the year, then goes dormant in summer, so the soil should not be dug or allowed to bake once the foliage fades. Mulch with leaf litter to keep the rhizomes cool and the surface rich. The plant spreads slowly into drifts and seldom needs division. It declines in hot, dry, or heavily disturbed sites.

Pruning

No pruning is needed. The foliage dies down on its own by midsummer and can be left in place to feed the rhizome. Mark the colony so the dormant patch is left undisturbed during summer cultivation.

⚠️ Toxicity Warning

Toxic to pets and humans