Yellow Mountain Avens vs Canada Anemone - TreeTime.ca

Yellow Mountain Avens vs Canada Anemone

Dryas drummondii

Anemonastrum canadense (Anemone canadensis)

CUSTOM GROW

NOT AVAILABLE THIS SEASON - MIGHT RETURN

Yellow Mountain Avens
Canada Anemone

Yellow Mountain Avens is a native perennial wildflower with bright yellow buttercup-like blooms. The nectar-rich flowers attract a variety of pollinators, including bees and butterflies. By thriving at higher elevations, it helps sustain pollinator populations and provides one of the earliest sources of nectar and pollen in alpine habitats. After the blooms fade, the plant produces silky seed heads that begin as upright, compact tufts and gradually expand into rounded, fluffy clusters, adding texture and interest to the landscape.

As a nitrogen-fixing plant, Yellow Mountain Avens enriches soil fertility and supports the growth of surrounding vegetation. It forms dense, spreading mats of evergreen foliage that act as a groundcover and help stabilize soil. Often among the first species to establish in disturbed alpine sites such as glacial outwash or landslides, it is well-suited for alpine revegetation, erosion control, naturalization, and ecological restoration projects in harsh, rocky environments.

Canada Anemone is a native perennial wildflower known for its white, buttercup-like flowers. Blooming from mid-spring to early summer, it attracts a variety of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. Its deep green foliage, characterized by deeply cut leaves with sharply toothed edges, adds texture and visual interest to the landscape even when the plant is not in bloom.

Canada Anemone grows naturally in moist meadows, forest edges, and riparian zones. Spreading rapidly through underground rhizomes, it forms large colonies that can help stabilize soil. It is well-suited to naturalization and restoration projects, including revegetating difficult, wet sites. Also suitable for rain gardens and pollinator gardens, but extra care and maintenance may be required to control its spread in smaller urban yards.

Yellow Mountain Avens Quick Facts

Canada Anemone Quick Facts

Zone: 1b
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.2 m (0.5 ft)
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Light: full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: medium
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: mat-forming, creeping
Growth form: spreading, colony forming
Spreading: stolons - medium, seeds - low
Spreading: rhizomes - high
Maintenance: medium


Toxicity: all plants parts toxic if ingested, can cause skin irritation
Foliage: evergreen, leathery
Flowers: yellow, buttercup-like, nodding
Flowers: white, cup-shaped
Bloom time: spring to summer
Bloom time: mid spring to early summer
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, ON, QC, NB, NL, YT, NT
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, NT, NU, PE
Other Names: drummonds dryad, drummonds mountain avens, yellow dryad
Other Names: american meadow anemone, meadow anemone, roundleaf anemone, roundleaf thimbleweed