Anemone nemorosa Lucia

Anemone nemorosa 'Lucia', also known as Wood Anemone, is a charming variety. This small bulbous plant of the undergrowth has a long spring flowering period, with small white flowers that turn pink over time, while its palmate foliage unfolds with a coppery colour. A perennial plant that thrives in shaded areas and humus-rich soil, it may be slow to establish, but eventually forms tangled rhizome mats that no adventive plant can infiltrate.

Anemone nemorosa 'Lucia', native to Spain (discovered in the mountainous massifs of Picos de Europa, Puerto de San Glorio), belongs to the family of Ranunculaceae. It is a cultivar derived from the Wood Anemone, which is found throughout Europe, western Asia, and northern America. This small plant forms a cushion 15 cm (6in) tall and spreads over 20 cm (8in) or more. It produces unbranched vertical stems that bear three well-cut whorled bracts and a single flower in the centre, measuring 3 cm (1in) in diameter. The flower has several oval tepals (sepals resembling petals) that start off white and gradually turn pink, eventually becoming more or less purplish pink. The throat is adorned with numerous yellow stamens. The flower opens to the light and follows the direction of the sun. It closes in the evening or in case of rain, avoiding damage from water by gracefully leaning to the side. All the flowers are oriented in the same way, creating a particularly harmonious carpet. The rhizome of Anemone sylvie 'Lucia' is brown, fleshy, and brittle, growing only 3 centimetres (1 inch) per year. It runs just below the surface of the soil and produces numerous leaves with three dissected leaflets, strongly tinged with copper and becoming greener as they grow, with a slight velvety texture. The flower does not occupy the same position year after year; it moves following its rhizome.

Anemone nemorosa Lucia is ideal as groundcover, especially in shady areas with moist soil. It can be used at the base of hedges, bushes, and deciduous trees. Pair it with botanical daffodils, forget-me-nots, and blue, violet, white, or pink Anemone blanda, which will succeed it in flowering and require the same growing conditions. In nature, Wood Anemone grows and blooms in spring, when trees still have no foliage. It completes its vegetative cycle in summer when its leaves disappear, entering a period of dormancy. This is the best time to plant it under a tree or at the base of hedges. It is not affected by competition from the roots of trees and bushes.

In temperate European zones, in forests where it occurs naturally, it would (along with lily of the valley) be a good bio-indicator of the age and naturalness of the forest. Anemone nemorosa and its cultivars are plants used in phytotherapy and aromatherapy.