When to plant and prune Japanese anemone
Japanese anemone flowers from early August to late October and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Japanese anemone is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| South Coast and Channel | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| South East and Home Counties | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| East Anglia | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Wales and West Coast | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Northern England | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Northern Ireland | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late March to mid May | early August to late October | late February to late March |
Growing notes
Superb for late colour in partial shade, flowering from late summer until the first severe frosts. It spreads by suckering roots and regrows from root fragments, so give it room and do not plant it next to anything delicate.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 60 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 120 cm
- Eventual spread
- 120 cm
- Hardiness
- H7
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 20 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
Spring mulch of organic matter on poorer soils.
Pruning group
Cut the old stems back at the base in early spring; leave the top growth over winter as shelter for insects rather than tidying in autumn.
What usually goes wrong
- invasive spread
- regrowth from root fragments after moving
- powdery mildew
- leaf and bud eelworm
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for japanese anemone.