Cutleaf Anemone vs Nuttalls Sunflower - TreeTime.ca

Cutleaf Anemone vs Nuttalls Sunflower

Anemone multifida

Helianthus nuttallii

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Cutleaf Anemone
Nuttalls Sunflower

Pacific Anemone is a native perennial wildflower with buttercup-like blooms. The flowers can be a variety of colors, including white, pink, and dark red. The deeply cut leaves add a unique texture to the landscape. The flowers bloom from May to August, providing early-season nectar and pollen for insects. They attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies.

As the flowers fade, they become fluffy white seed heads, which birds often use in their nests. They can spread readily through self-seeding; to limit their spread, regular deadheading is recommended. Tolerant of drought and poor soils, the Pacific Anemone is well suited for wildflower gardens, pollinator gardens, and naturalization projects.

Nuttall’s Sunflower is a native perennial wildflower known for its bright, golden-yellow blooms. Flowering from mid to late summer, it offers a late-season nectar source for various bees, butterflies, and other pollinators, while the seeds provide a fall food source for birds. The upright growth habit adds structural height and visual variety to your landscape.

Nuttall’s Sunflower can be found growing in moist to wet meadows, prairies, and open spaces. It can spread quickly via underground rhizomes, making it ideal for large-scale plantings. It is well-suited for naturalization, soil stabilization, riparian zones, and wetland restoration projects. If planting in smaller urban yards or gardens, extra care and maintenance will be required to limit its spread.

Cutleaf Anemone Quick Facts

Nuttalls Sunflower Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 2b
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.2 m (4 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.5 m (1.5 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: very fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, colony forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none
Maintenance: medium


Flowers: white, pink, or deep red
Flowers: golden yellow, daisy-like
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Bloom time: late summer to early fall
Seeds: fluffy, silky seedheads
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB
Other Names: birds-foot anemone, cut leaf anemone, cut-leaved anemone, red windflower
Other Names: common tall sunflower