With over 120 anemone varieties in colors ranging from deep purple to snow white, with reds, pinks and blues in between, only the anemone coronaria is referred to as poppy anemone. Popular in gardens and floral shops, poppy anemone are relatively easy to grow and have a long blooming time with multiple flower stems.
In Zones 6 to 11
Grown from tubers, which are large leathery roots of a plant that store the nutrients for the next year's bloom, poppy anemones are considered perennials in Zone 6 and above. For early spring blossoms, plant the tubers in the late fall, 1 to 2 inches deep at a sunny location with well drained soil. Additional plantings may be done in early to mid spring for late spring and early summer flowering. Mid summer planting can be done for fall blossoms if the summer month temperatures do not remain excessively hot in your area. The tubers may be left in the ground over the winter and will divide and multiple each year.
In Zones 2 to 5
In regions where the ground experiences a hard freeze during the winter, poppy anemone tubers should be dug up in the late fall, dried and stored in a cool, dry place until the soil has thawed in the spring. As soon as the soil can be dug, poppy anemones should be planted for spring blooming. Later planting can be done for early summer blossoms. Planting for autumn blooms is not advised because there will not be enough time after the bloom for the plant to store the nutrients for the following year.
Tips
Anemone tubers generally are very hard and dried out when you purchase them. To quicken sprouting and produce earlier blooms, soak the tubers in warm water from two hours to 12 hours before planting.
Anemone tubers do not like to be planted too deep in the soil. Avoid areas where the ground remains soggy for long periods, particularly over the winter because the anemone tubers can rot.
Tags: plant, poppy, anemone, Anemone tubers, anemone tubers, done early, early spring, early summer, late fall, over winter
