Canadian Anemone
Anemonastrum canadense
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Herbaceous
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 💧 Regular, 💧💧 High
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Silt, Calcareous
- Bloom
- April, May, June, July
- Sociability
- S4 – Large patches
Pollinator Value
- 🐛 Larval Host
- Loscopia velata
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Seeds and plant parts of Anemone consumed by Common Eider (Anatidae, 1.1% diet by weight) and Rock Ptarmigan (Phasianidae, 1.15% diet by weight). Achenes may persist into early winter providing minor forage.
S57 genus-level avian diet records
Ecology & Conservation
- Proximity Score
- 0
- Native Status
- ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
- Closest Direction
- Local
- CEC Eco-Regions
- 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
- Rarity Notes
- Globally secure (G5), nationally secure in both Canada (N5) and the United States (N5). Ranked S5 in both Ontario and Quebec. Not listed under SARA or assessed by COSEWIC. Widespread and common across its range.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC S5 – Secure, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Common in moist to wet open ground including shores, meadows, marshes, damp thickets, roadside ditches, and streambanks. Thrives on sandy shores and wet prairies from 200-2800 m elevation. Forms dense colonies via spreading rhizomes in riparian and floodplain habitats. Locally abundant in the Ottawa-Gatineau region along riverbanks and in moist clearings.
S7 shores, meadows, marshes; S29 damp thickets, wet prairies, lake shores; S4 ditches, damp meadows, sandy shores; S62 Common in Ottawa
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
- Notes
- A greedy, aggressive groundcover that suppresses neighboring plants through competitive rhizome spread and possibly allelopathic exudates. Best used as a matrix plant in moist, open areas where its spreading habit is an asset rather than a liability. Not suitable for mixed beds with less vigorous species. Immune to rabbit browsing.
S29 greedy plant inhibiting nearby growth; S29 immune to rabbits
Medicinal Properties ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
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ℹ
Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any plant for medicinal purposes. The information provided is compiled from secondary sources for educational purposes only.
Click here for more info →- Category
- Anthelmintic, Antiseptic, Astringent, Ophthalmic, Styptic, Analgesic
- Notes
- Extensively used in Indigenous medicine. Root and leaves are astringent and styptic. Chippewa used root poultice on wounds and infusion as wash for sores. Iroquois decocted root for worms. Meskwaki used root infusion as eye wash. Ojibwa used root as throat aid and analgesic for lumbar pain. Omaha and Ponca esteemed it as a panacea applied externally for many illnesses. Root contains anemonin, reported as a potent antiseptic.
Edibility & Foraging ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →
ℹ
Never ingest a plant unless you have 100% certainty of its identity and have consulted multiple reputable sources. The information provided in the Localeaf Plant Database is compiled from secondary sources for educational and historical purposes only.
Click here for more info →❌ Not Edible
- Foraging Notes
- No edible uses documented. PFAF assigns an edibility rating of 0/5. All parts contain protoanemonin, an acrid irritant, making ingestion inadvisable.
S29 Edible Uses=None known, edibility rating 0/5; S4 poisonous parts warning
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Contains protoanemonin, an enzymatic breakdown product of the glycoside ranunculin found in many Ranunculaceae. Can cause severe topical and gastrointestinal irritation when fresh: skin blistering on contact with sap, mouth irritation, vomiting and diarrhea following ingestion. Toxin is unstable and decomposes to harmless anemonin when plant material is dried or heated. Toxic only if eaten in large quantities.
Seed Source
- Localeaf / Akene