wood anemone
Anemonoides quinquefolia
The wood anemone is a 'spring ephemeral,' completing its entire above-ground life cycle in the brief window before the forest trees leaf out.
- Scientific name
- Anemonoides quinquefolia
- Taxonomy
- Plantae › Tracheophyta › Magnoliopsida › Ranunculales › Ranunculaceae › Anemonoides
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous woodlands, thickets, and clearings with moist, well-drained soil.
- Diet
- Photosynthetic autotroph
- Range
- Eastern United States, Southeastern Canada
- Size
- 10-20 cm tall with flowers 2-3 cm in diameter.
- Lifespan
- Perennial; individual rhizomes can persist for decades.
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, competition from invasive species like garlic mustard, and excessive herbivory by overpopulated deer.
- Safe to approach?
- Safe to observe. Do not ingest any part of the plant, as it contains protoanemonin which causes mouth sores and digestive distress. Wash hands after handling to avoid potential skin or eye irritation.
Anemone quinquefolia is an early-spring flowering plant in the genus Anemone , native to North America. It is commonly called wood anemone , like Anemone nemorosa , a closely related European species. The American species has been treated as a subspecies of Anemone nemorosa .
Photo: davecz2, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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