Anemone pulsatilla L. / European Pasqueflower

I bought this plant in the late summer of 2011 thinking it was Anemone patens (formerly Pulsatilla patens). I’ve wanted A. patens for quite awhile now since it’s native to where I live, Manitoba, AND it’s the provincial floral emblem. As spring 2012 came, I watched with anticipation and glee as the flower stalks pushed their way out of the ground, but my excitement came to a screeching halt as the leaves emerged shortly after. I’ve seen our native Pasqueflower before from doing fieldwork and knew that the leaves emerged much later. I consulted my growing collection of field guides and identification manuals and all confirmed that the plant I bought was not the provincial flower, but a similar, European species. I even checked the tag the plant came with and the tag read, “Anemone pulsatilla (syn. Pulsatilla vulgaris), Pasqueflower”. I must have bought the plant thinking Anemone pulsatilla was just another synonym of Anemone patens since A. patens has undergone many, many taxonomic changes in the past. No matter. I’ve decided to keep Anemone pulsatilla since they flower just as the tulips are starting to emerge and provide some much needed colour in the yard during early spring and the seed heads that follow look attractive enough that I leave them be instead of shearing them off.