Western Anemone

Western anemone (Anemone occidentalis), also known as pasqueflower or western pasqueflower, is an early-blooming perennial in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). It carpets subalpine and alpine meadows in Banff National Park; white or lavender flowers followed by striking, woolly seed heads that persist into autumn.

Identification: Low perennial (10–40 cm); deeply divided, basal leaves; solitary flowers with 5–8 petal-like sepals (white to lavender) in spring; distinctive spherical, woolly seed heads (“towhead babies”) in summer. Hairy stems and leaves protect against cold.

Habitat: Subalpine and alpine; moist meadows, open forest, and slopes. Often with glacier lily, alpine forget-me-not, and moss campion. Blooms May to July.

Ecology: Seeds dispersed by wind; woolly heads catch on fur and clothing. Do not pick; flowers are sensitive and slow to recover. Seed heads are iconic in late-season alpine meadows.