Frühlings-Anemone
Pulsatilla vernalis (L.) Mill.
The Spring Pasque Flower welcomes hikers early in the year and if you want to see it in bloom, you have to start looking for it as soon as the snow melts. Its fluffy flowers help to protect it against the spring cold – which is why it is sometimes called the Fur Anemone.
The Spring Pasque Flower grows up to 15 cm tall. It has feathered, basal leaves and fluffy bracts. The flowers are white to light pink on the inside with a violet tinge on the outside, which is also covered in fluffy hair – it’s a really cuddly flower!
Facts and Figures
Even if you might be tempted to take the pretty flowers home with you, you should refrain from doing so. The Spring Pasque Flower is at its most beautiful in the mountains and does not keep well in a vase. It is also a protected species in many places. Once their blooms have faded, a fluffy spherical seed head forms known affectionately as “Haarmandli” (little hairy men).
Territory
This anemone is common in Europe. In Switzerland, it is found in the Alps on nutrient-deficient pastures and in heathland populated by dwarf shrubs.