Jessie Keith
Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
Eranthis hyemalis
Plant Common Name
Winter Aconite
General Description
Dappling the ground with sunny blooms very early in the year, this little perennial from southern Europe and Asia Minor is a delightful garden presence in winter and early spring. Arising on short stems from a knobbly tuber, the yellow, saucer-shaped blooms perch atop a ruff-like whorl of three deeply dissected leaves. They bloom with the first hints of spring, opening their flowers wide in sunlight, and attracting bees with their honeyed scent. The tubers also give rise to palmately lobed basal leaves. Plants in the Cilica Group (also known as Eranthis cilicica) have slightly larger flowers and a frillier, bronze-tinged ruff. All growth disappears by the end of spring. Plants self-sow where happy, eventually forming large colonies.
Winter aconite thrives in partial shade and well-drained, humus-rich soil. Scatter seed when it ripens in late spring, or plant tubers shallowly as soon as possible after they are harvested, while they are still plump. Shrivelled tubers can be stored in moist potting mix and planted if they plump up without rotting. Use this beautiful little spring ephemeral in masses, intermixed with snowdrops, hellebores, witch hazels, and other early-blooming plants.
Characteristics
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AHS Heat Zone
9 - 1
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USDA Hardiness Zone
5 - 9
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Sunset Zone
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17
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Plant Type
Bulb or Corm or Tuber
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Sun Exposure
Partial Sun, Partial Shade
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Height
2"-4" / 5.1cm - 10.2cm
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Width
3"-4" / 7.6cm - 10.2cm
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Winter, Late Winter
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Native To
Southern Europe, Turkey, Western Asia
Growing Conditions
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Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
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Soil Drainage
Well Drained
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Soil type
Loam
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Growth Rate
Medium
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Water Requirements
Average Water
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Habit
Clump-Forming
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Seasonal Interest
Spring, Winter
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Flower Color
Yellow
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Fruit Color
Brown
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green
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Foliage Color (Winter)
Green
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Fragrant Flowers
Yes
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Fine
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Foliage Sheen
Matte
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
