Wildflowers of the United States

Wood Anemone, Nightcaps, Twoleaf Anemone - Anemone quinquefolia

Family: Ranunculaceae - Buttercup family

Genus Common Name: Anemone

Native Status: Native

Dicot Perennial Herb

Anemone quinquefolia - Wood Anemone, Nightcaps, Twoleaf Anemone. Anemone quinquefolia is found in most of the eastern United States, ranging further west - to the Dakotas - in the northern part of the range, and even as far west as Alberta in Canada. There are two varieties recognized by Flora of North America - var. minima is found only in NC, TN, VA, and WV, and var. quinquefolia, the widely ranging variety. The lateral leaflets in var. minima are sometimes unlobed. However, since they are also sometimes lobed and you may need to get to measuring achene sizes to differentiate, it's probably not worth trying to determine the variety for most of us.

Found in:
AL, AR, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, ND, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV

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Distribution of Anemone quinquefolia in the United States and Canada:

Map courtesy of The Biota of North America Program.
Map color key
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Site: Cosby Campground, GSMNP, Cocke County, TN Date: 2013-April-07	Photographer: Gerald C. Williamson Nikon D7000
The solitary flower of Wood Anemone usually has 4 to 6 (usually 5) white petal-like sepals, although they may rarely be pink or tinged with pink or blue. It will have 30 to 60 stamens. While the flower is similar to that of Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), Wood Anemone doesn't have the distinctive urn-shaped green pistils, and the leaves are usually 3-part, with the lateral leaflets usually deeply lobed, giving the appearance of having 5 leaftlets. The terminal leaflet may also be lobed, but not so deeply as the lateral leaflets.

Site: Cosby Campground, GSMNP, Cocke County, TN Date: 2013-April-07	Photographer: Gerald C Williamson Nikon D7000
Anemone quinquefolia grows from horizontal rhizomes, with vertical shoots between 2 and 12 inches tall. The solitary flower on the vertical shoot grows on a peduncle which may be somewhat hairy.
Click on the photo for a larger image

References used for identification and information:

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Anemone quinquefolia initially published on USWildflowers.com 2013-04-24; Updated 2017-03-02

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All content except USDA Plants Database map Copyright Gerald C. Williamson 2024
Photographs Copyright owned by the named photographer

Code Update 20230302