Japanese thimbleweed
Eriocapitella hupehensis (É.Lemoine) Christenh. & Byng
Japanese anemone is an Asian perennial with a short, branched woody base. The familiar name Anemone hupehensis connects older floras and garden labels with its current placement in Eriocapitella. Its leaves have long, hairy stalks, and the central leaflet is usually larger than the two lateral ones. Kew POWO: Eriocapitella hupehensisFlora of China: Anemone hupehensis
Botanical name
Kew accepts Eriocapitella hupehensis (É.Lemoine) Christenh. & Byng and lists Anemone hupehensis as its homotypic synonym; the catalog retains the older genus and a variant authority. Kew POWO: Eriocapitella hupehensis
Recognizing the plant
Its flowering stems rise above leaves divided into three leaflets. Flora of China describes stems commonly thirty centimetres to a metre tall, branching into many-flowered clusters. The broad, coloured parts of each flower are sepals, not petals. In the flora’s account they may be purple, pink, reddish or white, surrounding numerous stamens and a crowded centre of tiny pistils. After the display fades, small fruits develop a conspicuous covering of woolly hairs. Its account includes both single flowers and cultivated double forms with about twenty coloured sepals. Flora of China: Anemone hupehensis
Bloom window
China
Flora of China records flowering from July to October. Flora of China: Anemone hupehensis
Native range
Kew records the species as native from Nepal to Taiwan. Flora of China describes it in scrub, on grassy slopes and beside streams in hilly regions, giving a regional picture of its setting. Kew POWO: Eriocapitella hupehensisFlora of China: Anemone hupehensis
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.