Japanese anemone

plant

Also known as: Anemone hupehensis, Anemone japonica

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The Japanese anemone, also known as the Japanese windflower, is an Asiatic garden plant (Anemone hupehensis). It is characterized by compound leaves and large, showy flowers.1

The Japanese anemone belongs to the genus Anemone, which comprises over 100 species of perennial plants in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. While many anemone varieties are cultivated for their colorful flowers, the Japanese anemone is a favorite border plant for autumn blooming. The name "anemone" is derived from the Greek word for wind, as their flowers appear to be blown open by the wind.2

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

anemone
Other species, such as the Japanese anemone (A. hupehensis, or A. japonica), are favourite border plants for autumn flowering. Some species whose fruits bear a long plumose structure are placed in a separate section, Pulsatilla, often given the rank of genus. Anemones are distributed throughout the world but occur most…
Read More
Other species, such as the Japanese anemone (A. hupehensis, or A. japonica), are favourite border plants for autumn flowering. Some species whose fruits bear a long plumose structure are placed in a separate section, Pulsatilla, often given the rank of genus. Anemones are distributed throughout the world but occur most…
Read More