The sight of a carpet of white Anemone stars on a sunny day is a true sign that spring has sprung. The spring flowers are a useful source of food for sleepy foraging bees.

Anemone nemorosa is our native Wood Anemone and it is excellent for underplanting deciduous trees and shrubs, where it will slowly colonise an area to create a carpet. Flowers in March and April and is fantastic when combined with native Bluebells (also available in pots now).

Anemone has a wonderful array of local common names, including  Bowbells; Bread and cheese and cider; Chimney Smocks; Crowfoot; Easter flower; Granny's Nightcap; Granny-thread-the-needle; Lady's Purse; Lady's Shimmy; Moll of the Woods; Moon flower; Nancy; Smell Smocks; Shame Faced Maiden; Smell Fox; Soldiers Buttons; Star of Bethlehem; White Soldiers; Windflower.

In folk medicine wood anemones were used to treat headaches. Poultices containing the plant leaves were pressed to the head as a cure.

Photo: Lilly M, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons