How to Grow Japanese Anemones for Late Summer Colour

Just as many summer flowers start to fade, Japanese anemones come into their own. Their elegant, open flowers sway on tall stems from late summer into autumn, keeping borders fresh when they'd otherwise look tired.

They're hardy, easy and great for bees. Here's how to grow them.

Japanese Anemones at a Glance

• Hardiness: hardy, and comes back year after year.
• Position: sun or partial shade.
• Soil: reliably moist but free-draining.
• Flowers: August to October.
• When to plant: March to May, or September and October.
• Good for: borders, partial shade, woodland-style planting, cutting and bees.

Where to Plant

Japanese anemones grow in sun or partial shade, which makes them useful for trickier spots where sun-lovers struggle. Give them soil that stays reasonably moist but doesn't sit wet. Compact varieties, such as the Fantasy series, suit smaller gardens and the front of a border.

Give Them Room

Once they're settled, Japanese anemones spread strongly and form generous drifts. That's lovely in a large border, but give them space, and keep an eye on them near smaller, less vigorous plants.

Caring for Japanese Anemones

• Watering: water new plants in dry spells while they settle in.
• Cutting back: cut the old stems down once flowering has finished, or leave the seed heads for winter interest and cut them in early spring.
• Cutting: the flowers are lovely in a vase.

Good to Know

Anemones are harmful if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin, so wear gloves when cutting them back.

Japanese Anemones: Your Questions Answered

When do Japanese anemones flower?

From late summer into autumn, roughly August to October.

Do Japanese anemones spread?

Yes. Once settled, they spread strongly, so give them room.

Do Japanese anemones like shade?

They're happy in partial shade as well as sun.

Fresh Flowers as Summer Fades

Plant Japanese anemones among earlier-flowering perennials, and your borders will keep going well into autumn. Browse our anemones, or see our guide to the best flowering perennials.

Our garden plants are grown in Britain by growers we know, including the Yorkshire nursery that grows most of them. We check every plant by hand before it's packed, and send it out ready for your garden.