Anemone nemorosa 'Alba Plena’

Anemone nemorosa 'Alba Plena’ ( Alba Plena Wood Anemone )

This is a double white flowered cultivar of  Anemone nemorosa, the Wood Anemone. Its bright white flowers with a ruff of extra petals in the centre makes an excellent early spring ground cover. It grows well in a variety of places especially somewhat shady spots. It is underrated by some gardeners but makes a fabulous show in early spring.

Anemone nemorosa 'Alba Plena' is a beautiful perennial with thin, branching underground rhizomes that form long stems with the double white flowers proudly sitting above the foliage. The white, outer circle of large petals surround a centre of overlapping, tiny petals and the flower spikes will grow to about 15cm high.

This spreading, easy to grow "filler" for woodland gardens or in front of a shady border is easy care. With its very low growing statue and spring flowering it provides an excellent spring show in the home garden or large public garden or park. It enjoys ordinary moist soil, but tolerates drier soil in summer as they are then dormant. It dies down quickly after flowering.

It is ideal in situations which are similar to a woodland floor - good light levels in spring then as a canopy of tree leaves takes over the naturally anemone dies down until next year.

A very closely related cultivar is ‘Anemone nemorosa ‘Vestal' which is also has white, anemone-centred flowers.