Purple Anemone
May 28, 2021
Photographer: Menashe Davidson
Summary Author: Menashe Davidson
The main characteristic of the purple anemone flower is its showiness. This is one flower you’ll always notice in the garden, regardless of whatever is in bloom nearby. It belongs to the genus anemone, comprised of over 200 species. The word “anemone” is derived from the Greek term "anemos" meaning winds. Thus, the purple anemone is sometimes referred to as the windflower.
Flowers of the purple anemone tend to retire once the Sun goes down, a phenomenon known as nyctinasty. On the montage pictured above, 4 stages are demonstrated in the anemone’s diurnal cycle. All photos were taken in my home garden, in Rishon LeZion, Israel, on March 7, 2021. When the flowers are open, in addition to their delicate petals, they expose their reproductive organs, illustrating a range of shapes, colors and curves (bottom left).