Tall Anemone
Anemone virginiana
- Plant Type
- Forb (Deciduous)
- Landscape Layer
- Groundcover
- Sun
- ☀️ Full Sun, ⛅ Part Sun, ☁️ Shade
- Moisture
- 🏜️ Dry, 💧 Regular
- Soil
- Clay, Loam, Sand, Rocky / Acidic, Calcareous
- Bloom
- May, June, July, August
- Sociability
- S2 – Small groups
Pollinator Value
- ❄️ Winter Food Source
- Achenes persist into winter as fluffy thimble-shaped seedheads. Avian Diet Database records genus Anemone seeds consumed by Common Eider (Anatidae, 1.1% diet) and Rock Ptarmigan (Phasianidae, 1.15% diet). The cottony seedheads disintegrate slowly through fall and winter, providing a minor but persistent seed resource.
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) and nationally secure in both Canada and the US (N5). S5 in Ontario, SNR in Quebec. Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Widespread across eastern North America with no conservation concerns.
- Rarity Ranks
- QC SNR – Not Ranked, ON S5 – Secure
- Migration
- Stable
- Ecological Context
- Tall anemone occupies dry to mesic open woodlands, forest edges, thickets, savannas, and limestone glades across the Ottawa Valley. Common in both the Ottawa and Gatineau floras with abundant herbarium records, it thrives in partial shade to full sun on well-drained loamy soils. Frequently associated with maple-oak-hickory forests and woodland borders.
Permaculture & Companion Planting
- Roles
- Fortress/Barrier
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S10 keyword match: prickl (supporting signal only); S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)]
- Notes
- PFAF describes tall anemone as a 'greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes.' It produces the allelopathic compound protoanemonin. Not recommended as a companion plant in guild plantings due to its competitive nature.
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
- Pulmonary Aid, Antidiarrheal, Emetic, Expectorant, Dermatological Aid, Respiratory Aid, Stimulant
- Notes
- Extensively used by Indigenous peoples. Cherokee used root infusion for whooping cough. Iroquois used root decoctions for diarrhea, tuberculosis, and as an emetic. Menominee applied root poultice to boils. Meskwaki inhaled smoke of seeds for catarrh and directed seed pod smoke up nostrils to revive unconscious patients. PFAF lists root and seeds as astringent, emetic, and expectorant.
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.
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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 rates edibility 0/5. Moerman NAEB records only Drug/Medicine categories for Cherokee, Iroquois, Menominee, and Meskwaki nations, with no food uses. All parts contain protoanemonin, an acrid irritant, making ingestion inadvisable.
- Toxicity
-
⚠️ Moderate Toxicity
Contains protoanemonin, an acrid enzymatic breakdown product of ranunculin common to Ranunculaceae. Can cause severe topical and gastrointestinal irritation including blistering on skin contact and mouth/digestive tract irritation if ingested fresh. However, protoanemonin is unstable and converts to harmless anemonin when plant material is dried or heated. OWSL notes it is toxic to pets and humans if ingested. LBJ Wildflower Center warns all fresh parts are poisonous if eaten in large quantities.
Seed Source
- Localeaf