Greek Anemone

How to grow Greek Anemone

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant the small knobbly tubers in autumn, about 5 cm deep. They are dry and shrivelled when bought and soaking them overnight before planting improves the strike rate noticeably. There is no obvious top or bottom — plant them on their side and they will sort themselves out.

Pruning

None. Let the foliage die back naturally in early summer; the plant is dormant from then until the following spring.

Propagation

It self-sows and colonises gently where happy, which is the usual way a patch increases. Congested tubers can be lifted and separated once dormant.

Pests and diseases

Few problems. Newly planted tubers are sometimes dug up by squirrels or eaten by mice.

Value to wildlife

The open daisy-like flowers give early pollen and nectar to bees and hoverflies in March, and open wide only in sun.

Notes

It is best naturalised in quantity under deciduous shrubs or in short grass, where the summer dormancy goes unnoticed. Expect a proportion of bought tubers to fail — planting generously is more effective than nursing individuals.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Anemonoides blanda but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Anemonoides