Pulsatilla

( pull - suh - TILL - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of flowering herbaceous perennials is commonly called Pasque Flower, Wind Flower, Prairie Crocus, Easter Flower and Meadow Anemone. Species in the genus are native to North America and Eurasia, typically favoring alpine meadow landscapes, and need full sun and regular water to perform well in the garden. Use Pasque Flower to fill in spots in mixed beds and borders, or in native, pollinator, or rock gardens. These flowers can also serve as low no-traffic groundcover plants, bulb cover, or as early-season pollinator plants. Take care when planting these flowers in the garden, as contact with the sap may irritate skin in sensitive individuals and plant parts are toxic to humans and pets if ingested.

Pulsatilla species and varietals

The genus Pulsatilla is a member of the plant family Ranunculaceae and includes around 40 species. The plants in this genus are related to those in Anemone (Windflower), Hepatica (Liverwort), and Clematis (Virgin's Bower). Pasque Flower grows best in USDA hardiness zones 4-8 or Sunset growing zones 2b-6 and 15-17. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Pulsatilla alpina (Alpine Pasqueflower, Alpine Anemone, Flor del Viento, Yerba del Viento, Anémona Silvestre, Anémona Salvaje, Amapola de flor Chiquita, Viola Blanca, Velluda Blanca)
These plants are native to mountain ranges in central and southern Europe, central Spain, and Croatia. They reach between 6 and 12 inches tall and 8 inches wide. Leaves are hairy and deeply divided; flowers are white or yellow with prominent yellow stamens.

Pulsatilla cernua (Narrow-Leaf Pasque-Flower, Narrow-Leaf Pasqueflower, Old Man Grass, Old Man Weed, Okinagusa, 翁草, オキナグサ, Grandmother Flower, Halmiggot, 할미꽃, Korean Pasque Flower, Korean Pulsatilla, Cháo Xiǎn Bái Tóu Weng, 朝鲜白头翁, Drooping Pasque Flower, Drooping Pulsatilla, Прострел поникающий)
These perennial wildflowers produce dark red to purple flowers that have white, silky hairs. Blooms appear from April through May. Green, delicate foliage is hairy as well. Individual plants reach between 6 and 18 inches tall when mature and in bloom, and grow from rhizome. This species is native to Japan, China, Korea and eastern Russia.

Pulsatilla occidentalis (Anemone occidentalis) (White Pasqueflower, Western Pasqueflower, Mountain Pasqueflower, Old Man of the Mountains, Mopheads, Moptop, Wind Flower, Mouse-on-a-Stick)
This species is native to western North America, and prefers to grow in gravelly soils on slopes and in moist meadow landscapes. Plants reach between 4 and 24 inches tall when mature, and produce deeply dissected leaves. Flowers are white to soft purple, and can also be mixed white to blue-purple.

Pulsatilla vernalis (Spring Pasqueflower, Arctic Violet, Lady of the Snows)
These plants are native to mountainous areas in Europe, and reach 4 inches tall and just as wide. These semi-evergreen perennial plants have hairy, divided leaves and produce white flowers flushed with violet and prominent yellow stamens. These flowers do well in alpine gardens, and very much dislike winter wetness, although they are cold-hardy.

Pulsatilla vulgaris (European Pasqueflower, Common Pasqueflower, Wind Flower, Easter Flower, Meadow Anemone, Pasque Flower, Pasqueflower)
This species is native to central, northern and western Europe (Great Britain and France east to Ukraine and Russia. The species forms a foot-wide rosette of foliage, from which short, flowering stems are produced. Flowers bloom in early spring, a single flower per stem. Flower color ranges from white to pink to purple and red. Seed clusters that follow the flowers are showy and fluffy. Plants start from a woody root, and reach 1.5 feet tall by the time blooms pop; foliage is green and fern-like. Varieties include 'Pinwheel White' (with white flowers), 'Alba' (white flowers), 'Rubra' (pictured, with red flowers), 'Azure' (with semi-double violet flowers) and 'Red Clock' (also with red flowers).

Caring for Pulsatilla

Take care when planting these flowers in the garden, as contact with the sap may irritate skin in sensitive individuals and plant parts are toxic to humans and pets if ingested. The best time of the year to plant Pasque Flowers is in springtime. For best coverage, space plants about 6 inches apart. Pulsatilla plants should be situated in a space in the garden that receives full to partial sun; ideally, they like to get between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for best flowering and performance. In warmer climates, they do appreciate some late afternoon shade when temperatures are at their peak. Ensure that soil is very well-draining; these plants naturally grow in rocky substrate, and do not like to have wet feet. If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home. At maturity, Pasque Flowers appreciate consistent moisture. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch.

Pasque Flowers do not need to be fertilized; simply having a decent amount of organic material in soil is sufficient to provide nutrients for the active growing seasons. Prune plants to remove spent flowering heads as they fade; this will clean up the plant, encourage more blooms to pop, and discourage re-seeding. Dead, damaged, and diseased foliage can be pruned off at any time during the active growing seasons (spring and early summer). Each year in early spring, just before new growth kicks in for the year, pruning for shape and size can be completed. Every few years, especially if these flowers are grown in a cramped space or a container, Pulsatilla will need to be divided. Before dividing, cut back any flowering stems that have formed. For instructions on how to successfully divide Pasque Flower plants, see the Propagation section below. Pulsatilla flowers are long-lived perennials with an average life span of 30 to 50 years in the landscape.

Propagation

Pulsatilla, or Pasque Flower, can be propagated by division or seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the division method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant, especially if you are propagating a hybrid cultivar. To propagate your Pasque Flower, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Pulsatilla by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seed heads on plants are pretty easy to spot, they're left behind after flowers have faded. Once they have dried out and begun to split open, you can harvest the seeds inside. Cut them off of the plant, placing them in a paper bag. Harvest as many as you can, and place the paper bag in a dry, cool, dark area. They will continue to split open and release the seeds contained inside. Once they have been released, take them out of the bag and put them in a container so you can work with them.
Get your container prepared. Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Germination usually takes 2-6 weeks from sowing. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.

Propagating Pulsatilla by Division
This type of propagation is relatively simple; you will need a clean shovel, mulch, fresh soil, compost and pots (only necessary if you will be saving divided plants for transporting elsewhere). Division is best done in very early spring (after the plant has entered dormancy, but before it has begun its new spring growth), and needs to be done every few years regardless of whether you have the goal of propagating the plants for best performance. To propagate by division, follow these steps:

Using a shovel, dig up your existing plant. Start from the outside and work your way in to avoid damaging the root(s). Once you have worked it up out of the ground, lay it out.
Start to tease apart the roots with your fingers. Once the roots are untangled, separate your plant into segments, ensuring that each one has at least one thick root section attached.
Prepare your pot(s) or new planting site(s) with amended, well-draining soil. You can either bring in new soil or simply amend your existing soil with compost to complete this task. Then, plant your divisions and water thoroughly.
Apply a thick layer of mulch over the new planting to protect it from cold weather as it acclimates to its new home. Then, enjoy watching it sprout in the next growing season.