13 Anemone Varieties to Plant in October

Anemones are worthy of a spot in the garden, pretty from head to toe and draped in buds and blooms. The leaves are attractive even when the plants aren’t in flower; they’re palmate, lobed, and sometimes deeply cut and ferny. Their graceful stems, buds, and flowers waft in the breeze and reflect their common name, windflower.

There are nearly 200 species of anemones, with fall or spring bloomers in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Some resemble petite poppies, while others look like daisies with ray petals. Bloom shades range from delicate pastels to vibrant reds and blues. Depending on the species, anemones are well-behaved ornamentals or vigorous spreaders, thriving in optimal conditions. 

From warm-climate growers to cold-hardy perennials, anemones are versatile across growing zones and garden situations. Grow them in the perennial border, rock garden, naturalized arrangement, and woodland, en masse or as specimens. They also make beautiful container displays. Lovely in the garden and the vase, you may not get enough of the delicate, easy-to-grow, top-performing anemone varieties to plant in October.

Types of Anemone

Anemones belong to the highly ornamental Ranunculaceae family, which includes ranunculus, columbine, delphinium, clematis, and hellebore. The showy perennials are relatively carefree growers given good drainage, essential to their health and vigor. During the growing season, they prefer humusy, moist soils and protection from drying winds and sun.

Anemones are a varied genus, with those that spread via tubers (corms or bulb-like roots) and those that spread via rhizomes (woody lateral roots). Rhizomatous selections are perfect for fall planting and tend to overwinter successfully. Some tuberous anemones perennialize in warm climates but tend to grow as annuals in cold regions. Both are spectacular on the stem and in fresh arrangements.

Here’s a quick look at a few common types of anemone to guide October planting:

A. coronaria, or Common Garden Anemone

This celebrated favorite bursts with unique buds and blooms in early spring. Plant them in October in zones 7 and warmer, or treat them as annuals with spring-planting in colder climates. You can also plant them in pots in the fall and shelter them over the winter in a cool space like a garage, basement, or cold frame. Outdoors, remember to cover the tender tubers with hoop tunnels for protection from freezing conditions.

A. hupehensis and hybrida, Japanese Anemone

These fall bloomers shine in the border as other late-season perennials fade. The clump-forming perennial sends up tall stems with clusters of cupped blooms in pinks, purples, whites, and golds—hues that beautifully complement fall tones.

The tissuey outer petals (actually sepals) frame a central cluster of stamens. Plant them in the fall and spring to enjoy their foliage outside of the stunning blooms. Some have extended bloom seasons that begin in the summer and last well into October and November.

A. blanda, or Windflower

A. blanda forms a low-growing ground cover that creates a floriforous, naturalized aesthetic. They perfectly complement spring bulbs like winter aconite, hyacinth, daffodils, and tulips. In blue, pink, and white, the ray flowers whirl among the deep green, fern-like foliage. Plant this anemone in October for leafy growth in late spring.

‘Honorine Jobert’

	botanical name Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 3-4’
	hardiness zones 4-8

One of the most popular Japanese anemone varieties, ‘Honorine Jobert’ is an old garden hybrid from France. Discovered as a sport of a pale pink Japanese hybrid, she’s been a favorite since 1858.

Wide, bright white petals hold large, golden stamens around a chartreuse eye. Palmate foliage is dark green and covered in fine hairs. The buds hold pretty brushes of pink before opening to semi-double blossoms with slightly ruffled petals.

‘Honorine Jobert’ brims with fall buds and blooms on tall stems that float in clusters above the leaves. A Perennial Plant Association Perennial of the Year and Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit recipient, ‘Honorine’ flowers for up to two months in late summer and early fall.

This vigorous perennial spreads readily in optimal growing conditions. Use it where it can naturalize or divide the colony over time.

‘Curtain Call Pink’

	botanical name Anemone ‘Curtain Call Pink’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 14-18”
	hardiness zones 4-8

For summer’s final act is ‘Curtain Call Pink,’ a cultivar of Japanese hybrids with light rosy pink flowers. Double petals frame a yellow button center on perky, upright stems.

This one is more compact, with shorter stems above a small mound of clumping leaves. Because of its size, ‘Curtain Call Pink’ fits well into various garden pockets, including container arrangements as a stand-alone specimen or with other fall foliage and flowers. Japanese anemones like this one steal the autumnal show!

‘Blue Shades’

	botanical name Anemone blanda ‘Blue Shades’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-8”
	hardiness zones 5-8

Also called windflowers, these breezy growers create a carpet of lilac-blue blooms. The clump-forming perennial spreads through seeds and rhizomes to form a ground cover of deep, ferny foliage.

‘Blue Shades’ is a standout with rich blue, daisy-like flowers. Yellow eye centers give a delicate contrast. Plant these RHS Award of Garden Merit winners in October, within 2-3” of each other for a drift of blooms in April.

‘Fall in Love® Sweetly’

	botanical name Anemone hybrida Fall in Love® ‘Sweetly’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 24-30”
	hardiness zones 4-8

This Japanese hybrid shines in rose pink as other late-summer bloomers lose steam. A multitude of semi-double flowers rise just above the mounding foliage for a blanket of rich color. A bright yellow center punctuates the dainty, bunched petals.

‘Sweetly’ spreads slowly through rhizomes. Part of the Fall In Love® series from Michigan’s Walters Gardens for a prolific late-season performance. Pair them with coral bells, ornamental grasses, and sedum for a fall display. Their slow-to-emerge spring foliage is a perfect foil to fading spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and bluebells.

‘Galilee White’

	botanical name Anemone ‘Galilee White’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 7-10

This poppy-like stunner has brilliant white, tissuey petals around a dark midnight eye. Dramatic anthers form a fuzzy ring around the deep center.

Clip the flowers as they open for long-lasting fresh arrangements. These make exceptional cut flowers in the vase and bouquets. In the border, pair them with spring flowering bulbs for an early display.

The Galilee series boasts a high bud count and large flowers. They tolerate shorter growing days (lower light levels) and cooler temperatures and are good for fall planting in zone 7 and warmer. For gardens below zone 7, ‘Galilee White’ is best protected in the fall in sheltered pots, hoop tunnels, or a cold frame. Plant them in spring for reliable blooming.

A. sylvestris

	botanical name Anemone sylvestris
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 12-18”
	hardiness zones 4-8

The vigorous-spreading snowdrop windflower creates a carpet of white atop deeply cut leaves. Tufts of pale yellow stamens dot the clear blooms and lead to fuzzy white seed heads.

A. sylvestris yields fragrant, slightly cupped blossoms in spring. As a bonus, it may repeat flower in autumn’s cool conditions. 

Snowdrop windflower spreads by rhizomes and is aggressive in optimal situations. It prefers rich, loose, moist soils and won’t spread as readily in clay types, which can be a good way of keeping it in bounds.

‘Hadspen Abundance’

	botanical name Anemone hupehensis ‘Hadspen Abundance’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-3’
	hardiness zones 5-8

‘Hadspun Abundance’ is an award winner from Hadspen Garden in Somerset, England. Five rounded petals (actually, sepals, or modified petals) have deep pink centers with pale outer edges. Two tepals are slightly darker and smaller than the others. The highlighted edges and mixed sizing give a bounce to the blooms among the dark green leaves.

A chartreuse central eye dots a ring of yellow stamens among the pink. The lobed foliage forms a soft one-foot-tall mound graced by upright but gently arching stems two or three times as tall.

Attractive, dark buds delight with a slight nod before opening. Blossoms emerge from late July and early August through October, often til’ the first frost, for an extended show.

A. virginiana

	botanical name Anemone virginiana
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 2-8

Thimbleweed is a gentle woodland beauty and a North American native wildflower with masses of starry white flowers from late spring to midsummer. The cupped, bright petals stand out among the rich green, deeply cut leaves.

The one-inch flowers have a pronounced stamenal central mound in light yellow-green. They produce woolly, thimble-shaped seedheads that bring unique interest into winter. In the fall, leaves have a red blush.

A. virginiana doesn’t spread as aggressively as other anemones. Its native growing range is eastern North America in rocky, dry woodlands and slopes. Call on this species to delight in the shady woodland bed or naturalized arrangement. Sow seeds in the fall to emerge in spring.

‘Dreaming Swan’

	botanical name Anemone ‘Dreaming Swan’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 30”
	hardiness zones 4-8

‘Dreaming Swan’ is as lovely as its name implies, hailing from Scotland with nodding buds, white brushed with purple, on dark stems. Buds open to overlapping snowy petals with slightly frilled edges and purple-blue blush on their reverse. 

‘Dreaming Swan’ is clump-forming rather than an aggressive spreader. This well-behaved habit is a welcomed addition among Japanese anemones.

‘Dreaming Swan’ features a very extended flowering period, with blooms appearing as early as June and lasting into fall. Flowers begin as singles for added embellishment and become semi-double as the season progresses.

‘Robinsoniana’

	botanical name Anemone nemorosa ‘Robinsoniana’
	sun requirements Partial shade
	height 5-6”
	hardiness zones 5-8

Wood anemones bear a profusion of star-shaped, single blooms in early to late spring. They naturalize under tree canopy and woodland settings.

‘Robinsoniana’ has Award of Garden Merit status with pale lavender blooms with creamy gray reverses. The flowers follow the sun during the day and close in the evening. 

Foliage is fine-textured and deeply divided. Wood types spread through rhizomes to form a low-growing mat.

‘De Caen Blue’

	botanical name Anemone coronaria ‘De Caen Blue’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 10-12”
	hardiness zones 6-10

‘De Caen’ is a popular group of A. coronaria hybrids. They feature a dark center, sometimes with a white perimeter, and color-saturated petals.

‘De Caen Blue’ is a rich purple-blue with billowy, poppy petals and blue-black stamens. Hints of chartreuse appear in the eye, and the satiny petals have tinges of white.

Others in the ‘De Caen’ group include ‘Bordeau’ in wine red, white bicolor with blue brushes, pink in deep rose, and red in bright crimson with a white center. Plant the rhizomes in autumn in mild climates, holding off until spring in areas with cold winters.

‘September Charm’

	botanical name Anemone x hybrida ‘September Charm’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 2-4’
	hardiness zones 4-8

Despite its name, ‘September Charm’ is perfect for planting in October. Its deeply divided, dark green leaves emerge later in spring to infill the border until it is time for the late summer/early fall display.

‘September Charm’ brings the most delicate shade of silvery pink to two-to-three-inch blossoms. Each flower holds six to nine petals with darker pink reverses. Buds are dark rose and open to reveal the blushing interior.

The Award of Garden Merit recipient has large goldy yellow stamens that attract pollinators. Pair it with hostas for a spray of color among broad leaves.

‘White Splendour’

	botanical name Anemone blanda ‘White Splendour’
	sun requirements Full sun to partial shade
	height 4-6”
	hardiness zones 4-8

This darling workhorse is a white blanda with crisp daisy-like blooms in early spring. Cheery yellow centers with rosy pink backs highlight the blossoms among fine-textured foliage.