Japanese anemone

How to grow Japanese anemone

Written by Steve Davis · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in spring so the roots are established before winter. It takes a year or two to settle and then spreads steadily by underground runners, so put it where that is acceptable. Partial shade with moisture at the root suits it better than a hot dry site.

Pruning

Deadhead through the season if you want, though the seedheads are attractive. Cut the stems down after the foliage collapses in late autumn or leave them until early spring. No other pruning is needed.

Propagation

Lift and separate rooted suckers in spring, or take root cuttings in winter, which is the more reliable method. Named forms will not come true from seed.

Pests and diseases

Anemone leaves are prone to a leaf-spotting fungus in wet summers, and powdery mildew can occur late in the season. Caterpillars occasionally shred the foliage.

Value to wildlife

The open flowers are a useful late nectar source for bees and hoverflies at a point in the year when many borders have finished.

Notes

It is slow to start and then hard to stop. Once running through a border, fragments of root left in the soil will regrow, so think carefully about siting rather than planning to move it later.

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 Eriocapitella hupehensis but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Eriocapitella