Deep colored Anemonellas (and Iowa)

[Rodger Whitlock]

Many years ago, Don Elick, who was brought up in Iowa, told me that in eastern , though the state is, in general, very flat, there are draws (or gullies or washes, whatever you want to call them) that still harbor the same vegetation that originally covered the land: a mesic deciduous woodland.

The verge of the Great Plains is the western edge of the native range of Anemonella thalictroides. And according to Don Elick, one can find specimens of anemonella in those draws that are "ruby red".

Sadly, I lost contact with Don, and no opportunity ever arose to explore eastern Iowa and see if these little beauties could be found.

So I have two questions:

1. Is anyone growing a well-colored form of anemonella? Just an ordinary single-flowered form, but with good color, at least as deep as 'Schoaf's Double' and 'Cameo', preferably considerably deeper.

2. If anyone familiar with that part of Iowa is reading, have you ever run across the deep colored anemonellas that Don told me about?

I grow a couple of clones of single-flowered anemonella from disparate sources, but one is white and the other as close to white as makes no difference.

[Carlo]

Rodger,

Anemonella (Thalictrum) thalictroides is one of my favorites, and if the gods be pleased, I've got several cultivars still in pots waiting to emerge. I am not aware of the Iowa populations, but will watch this thread with great interest.

[TheOnionMan]

Rodger, there are a number of forms "kicking around" so to speak, some unnamed but growing in people's gardens.  Here are two images taken in a friend's garden of 'Shoaf's Double Pink' and some white and pink single forms.  I have 'Shoaf's Double Pink', a small plant that lingers about, the problem being chipmunks and squirrels that get at the tiny tubers that sit right at the soil level (sometimes above).  My gardening friend has cats, no problems with chipmunks and squirrels, thus large clumps of these beauties.

Plant Delights Nursery has the double pink, and 'Cameo', and a lime green double called 'Betty Blake'.  I have a small plant of 'Jade Feather', a green one with white staminodes, and here again it barely does anything in my garden except just manage to survive.  The latter cultivar is known under several names (Jade Feather, Green Dragon, Green Hurricane, maybe others), although 'Jade Feather' is correct... I have the naming history of it in personal letters from Timmy & Linc Foster, I'm the one that urged Linc to get this into wider distribution, and a name had to be given.
http://www.plantdel.com/Catalog/Current/page7.html

A ruby red one would certainly be a special find.

Barry Yinger's Asiatica Nursery also has some of these, and a new deep color single one called 'Tairin'
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.plantDetail/plant_id/802/index.htm
http://www.asiaticanursery.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/plants.viewCategory/catID/37/index.htm

[Carlo]

Geez Mark...you're scaring me with that....that...."thing".

[TheOnionMan]

Geez Mark...you're scaring me with that....that...."thing".

Did you ever see the movie "The Fly" with Jeff Goldblum?    

Now, back to Anemonellas...

[ranunculus]

Like a manic anemometer on something strong!   

[Susan Band]

Neil Huntley at Hartside nursery often has dark flowered Anemonellas grown from seed. I picked this one up a few years ago and it is bulking up nicely. It has dark coloured foliage and when the buds open they are are lovely and dark, fading pink.
Susan