13 Types of Red Anemones

Written by Sandy Porter
Updated: August 8, 2023
Share on:

Advertisement


The anemone flower comes in a wide range of stunning shades from creamy white to yellow, from vivid purplish-blue to startlingly vibrant hot pink. And, of course, the beautiful shades of red, crimson, and scarlet in these varieties of red anemones. There are many to choose from for your garden that are available fairly readily.

1. Anemone Coronaria

Poppy anemone in red

Poppy anemones come in jewel tones of red, white, blue, purple, and pink.

©Nick Pecker/Shutterstock.com

Probably the most well-known group of red anemones is the Anemone Coronaria, also called the poppy anemone. This group is a perennial that should be planted in autumn from tubers or spring as established plants or seedlings. They grow to be about 10 to 12 inches in height and look largely like poppies, thus earning their nickname. They come in bright jewel tones of red, white, blue, purple, and pink. They may be either single or double blooms and thrive in well-draining soils in sunny spots in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10.

2. De Caen Anemones

The De Caen anemones are actually a group of anemones based on the Coronaria anemones and also have a poppy-like in appearance. They should be planted in autumn for spring blooms, but may be planted in cooler regions in the springtime for late summer blooms. They thrive in full sun in well-draining soils. They grow to between 6 and 12 inches, depending on the variety, and are considered hardy between USDA Hardiness Zones 7 and 10 as perennials and annuals in cooler Growing Zones. The De Caen anemone was developed in France and brought to North America back in the 1800s, earning them the nickname of French anemones. They’re one of the most popular varieties of garden anemones today.

3. Anemone Coronaria de Caen ‘Hollandia’

De Caen anemones Hollandia

Bold De Caen ‘Hollandia’ anemones show off their stunning red beauty.

©D C Robinson/Shutterstock.com

One cultivar of De Caen anemones is the ‘Hollandia,’ a popular and perhaps best-known red anemones variety. The poppy-like flowers come in bold, cherry-red blooms with dark centers and white eyes. The flower is a spring bloomer, whose bulbs thrive in loose, well-draining soil in full sun. They reach up to 10 to 19 inches in height. They are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10 as perennials and work as annuals in cooler zones.

4. Anemone Coronaria de Caen ‘Bordeaux’

For those looking for a deep red bloom, the ‘Bordeaux’ in the De Caen group is a fabulous choice. The flowers are deep and dramatic burgundy to purple red or red pink shades and grow to between 8 and 12 inches in height. They thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 12 as perennials and may be grown as annuals in cooler climates. They need sandy soil that is well-draining and full sun.

5. St. Brigid Mix

St. Brigid Mix anemones in purples, pinks, and reds

The St. Brigid Mix comes in many colors, including this bold red.

©Jeanie333/Shutterstock.com

This blend of blooms from the Anemone Coronaria group generally comes as a mix of colors, with blue, mauve, pink, white, scarlet, and similar shades popping out in late springtime. They have either dark or self-colored centers. St. Brigid Mix anemones thrive in alpine and rock gardens and as naturalized meadow flowers in USDA Hardiness Zones 7 to 10. Plant them in moist, loamy, well-draining soil in locations with full sun.

6. Anemone Oregana or Blue Windflower

Blue windflowers in blue, purple, white, and red

The blue windflower comes in many shades, not just blue!

©Victoria Kurylo/Shutterstock.com

As the name suggests, the blue windflower comes in blue. However, this windflower actually may come in blue, pink, purple, white, bicolored, or red shades. They are sometimes confused with scarlet windflowers but aren’t quite the same plant. They natively grow in Oregon (thus the name ‘oregana’), Washington, and northern California below 7,000 feet in elevation. They bloom in spring in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 9 as perennials.

7. Scarlet Windflower

Like the blue windflower, the scarlet windflower is a stunning version of the anemone that comes in scarlet. However, they may also come in a rust-red color or pink. They grow up to 12 inches in height, typically, and need full sun to thrive.

8. Hadspen Abundance

Anemone hupehensis or Hadspen Abundance anemones have cup-shaped petals and pop out carmine pink-red blooms from late summer into the autumn. They are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. They have beautiful dark green foliage and happen to be both deer and rabbit resistant. They thrive in well-draining soil that is in full sun.

9. The Governor Double Red Anemone

Governor double anemone

The vivid Governor double red anemone is a gorgeous sight all blooming season.

©Matt Hopkins/Shutterstock.com

The Governor Double Red Anemone, as the name implies, is a double anemone flowering plant. They are vivid red with a wide ring of white around the ink-dark blue centers. They’re easy to grow and thrive as rock garden plants and ground cover, though they grow to heights of 10 to 14 inches. Pollinators love them and deer don’t like them. They are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 10 and produce blooms from late spring to early summer.

10. Anemone Multifida

Another popular variety of red anemones is the Anemone multifida. They may have single blooms or clusters of up to seven flowers on a single stem, and grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9. There are technically four varieties of these flowers, the multifida, Saxicola, stylosa, and tetonensis but they all come in red and other shades.

11. Mona Lisa Red Bicolor Anemone

For a bicolor red option, consider the Mona Lisa. The beautiful flower is in the Coronaria family and are single flowered blooms. They are primarily red with a white or cream secondary color. Each plant produces up to 18 flowers and they thrive in cooler climates without additional light.

12. Mona Lisa Scarlet Eye Anemone

Another Mona Lisa option is the Scarlet Eye, also a single-flowered Coronaria cultivar. They are red with a white or cream secondary coloring, on large blooms. The plants may produce up to 18 flowers per each, and they thrive in cooler environments without extra light needed.

13. Peacock Windflower

Peacock windflower

The Peacock windflower is a bold single-color red flower with dark stamens.

©Vankich1/Shutterstock.com

The Peacock windflower or Anemone pavonine comes in several shades, including a bold scarlet red. The plant originated in the olive groves of the Mediterranean region and produces vibrant shades that stand out among other plants. They have dark purple-black centers and are single flowers. They bloom between February and April (spring) and need light, sandy soil that is well-draining in a sunny location.

Summary of 13 Types of Red Anemones

Here’s a recap of the 13 different types of red anemones that we took a look at.

NumberAnemone
1Anemone Coronaria
2De Caen Anemones
3Anemone Coronaria de Caen ‘Hollandia’
4Anemone Coronaria de Caen ‘Bordeaux’
5St. Brigid Mix
6Anemone Oregana
7Scarlet Windflower
8Hadspen Abundance
9The Governor Double Red Anemone
10Anemone Multifida
11Mona Lisa Red Bicolor Anemone
12Mona Lisa Scarlet Eye Anemone
13Peacock Windflower

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Nick Pecker/Shutterstock.com


Share on:
About the Author

Sandy Porter is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering house garden plants, mammals, reptiles, and birds. Sandy has been writing professionally since 2017, has a Bachelor’s degree and is currently seeking her Masters. She has had lifelong experience with home gardens, cats, dogs, horses, lizards, frogs, and turtles and has written about these plants and animals professionally since 2017. She spent many years volunteering with horses and looks forward to extending that volunteer work into equine therapy in the near future. Sandy lives in Chicago, where she enjoys spotting wildlife such as foxes, rabbits, owls, hawks, and skunks on her patio and micro-garden.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.