Jesse Saylor
Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
Anemone virginiana
Plant Common Name
Tall Thimbleweed
General Description
A beautiful, spreading wildflower native to much of eastern North America, tall thimbleweed offers lush mats of upright, palm-shaped foliage and delicate white summer flowers. Native populations inhabit open woods and prairies that range from dry and rocky to somewhat moist and fertile. There are three variants, var. cylindroidea, var. virginiana and var. alba, which differ in floral characteristics, distribution and vigor.
The bright to medium green leaves of tall thimbleweed are palm-shaped and deeply incised and appear on upright, branched stems that may be green or purplish. Plants spread via aerial shoots that root as they go to create substantial mats of foliage. White, five-petaled flowers appear atop slender, upright stems in summer. Insects pollinate the blooms and bristled, elongated, thimble-like seedheads follow. The heads turn from green to brown and shatter into a puff when fully mature.
This is an adaptable wildflower that grows well in full to partial sun as well as substantial shade. Well-drained soil is required but otherwise tall thimbleweed is adaptable to a wide range of soil types. Established plants are quite drought tolerant. This is one of the few plants that successfully grows in dry shade. It makes a fine addition to wildflower gardens or naturalistic borders.
All parts of this plant are hazardous if ingested.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
8 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
3 - 8
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Plant Type
Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade, Full Shade
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Height
12"-30" / 30.5cm - 76.2cm
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Width
2'-5' / 0.6m - 1.5m
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Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
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Native To
North America, United States, Canada
