Anemone cylindrica aka Candle Anemone

Anemone cylindrica belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. It is a perennial, so it lives for more than one year. People call it thimbleweed, windflower, and candle anemone. It comes from Canada and the northern and west-central United States. It grows in prairies, dry open woods, pastures, and roadsides. These sites span many elevations. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

This upright plant grows 1–2 feet [0.30–0.61 metres] tall. In gardens, it spreads about 1.5 feet [0.46 metres]. Its leaves have deep lobes and toothed edges. Large leaves at the base reach 4 inches across. Smaller leaves have stalks. They form a ring halfway up the stem. Bare flower stalks rise above this ring of leaves. Each stalk holds one flower, clear of the leaves.

The flowers open from June to July. Chicago Botanic Garden notes a few blooms through late July. Each flower forms a cup. It measures up to three-quarters of an inch across. Five greenish-white sepals look like petals. They sit around a raised green centre. Many stamens with yellow anthers ring this centre. After bloom, the centre forms a long, narrow seedhead. These heads have a cylinder shape. They reach about one and a half inches long. White fluff covers the heads as the seeds ripen. Both flowers and seedheads add interest to garden beds. Chicago Botanic Garden notes that the plant draws butterflies.

Grow thimbleweed in full sun or part shade. It suits sandy or gritty soil that drains well. Soil can range from dry to somewhat moist. Once plants settle in, they can cope with drought. Missouri Botanical Garden lists USDA zones 4–7. Chicago lists zones 3–6. The plant needs little upkeep. No reports list serious pest problems. Missouri Botanical Garden reports no serious disease problems either. Use it in borders, rock gardens, or native plant beds. It also suits plantings left to spread on their own. It can serve as groundcover in shade.

Plants For A Future lists no known edible uses. It notes past use as medicine by Omaha and Ponca people. They used root washes for wounds and leaf poultices for burns. Other records describe root tea and washes for sore eyes. These past uses do not prove that treatment is safe. Sow seeds when ripe or in late winter. Seeds may take one to six months to sprout at 15°C. Keep the seed soil moist. Cover the seeds with only a thin layer of soil. You can also divide plants after they die down in late summer.