Five Little Anemonellas

Anemonella thalictroides, the native rue anemone, is blooming now in our local woodlands by the thousands; along with spring beauties, the rue anemones cover the woodland ground, their flowers all moving restlessly with the spring breezes. In addition to the wild plant (shown fourth above), our garden is host to several commercial cultivars; Snowball at top is a white double with a hint of pink. Cameo (third) is a dusty faint pink double. Croton Falls (second) is a pink single. Then there's the classic Schoaf's pink, a double, at bottom. I especially like the little leaves of rue anemone, which remind me of tiny mittens or duck feet. Also rue anemone , in spite of its delicate appearance, is one of the longest flowering spring wildflowers... maybe the longest.