Pasqueflower

Pasqueflower, Pulsatilla vulgaris

• Common Name: Pasque Flower, European Pasque Flower

• Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial

• Height: 10-12”

• Spread: 10-12”

• Sun/Shade Requirements: Full or Part Sun

• Water Requirements: Average moisture requirements, fairly drought tolerant once established.

• Soil Requirements: Prefers a well drained soil, enjoys compost enriched soil.

• Growth Habit: Clump forming with blooms held above the foliage singly on stems.

• Bloom Time: April through May

• Bloom Color: Purple, red, pink or white

• Bloom Form: Six large petals with a bright yellow center, slightly nodding on single stems

• Foliage: Silky green, lacy fernlike leaves

• Fragrance: none

• Pest and Disease Resistance: Rarely bothered by any pest or disease

• Fertilize: Grown in enriched soil should not need feeding.

• Maintenance: Remove seedheads to prevent reseeding.

• Other: Attracts honeybees, not bothered by rabbits.

• Hardiness: Zones 4-8

A somewhat hard to find perennial, this woodland beauty will put on a show much longer than trillium and other spring bloomers. The 2 1/2” blooms appear early in spring and remain fresh for weeks. Purple Pasqueflower is stunning with spring daffodils and crocus at the front of the border. Shortly after the blooms open the foliage emerges. These early blooms provide nectar for honeybees early in the season.

As the flowers diminish, Pasqueflower produces puffy, silky looking balls of seeds that last into summer. The foliage is lustrous with glistening silky hairs. Leave the seed heads to allow re-seeding for naturalizing in a woodland setting. Pasqueflower prefers colder climates and will not perform well in the warm southern regions. If you are able to find Pasqueflower it will likely bloom purple. But there are also pink and white blooming varieties, and the red is stunning.