Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Spring, summer.
Above: Near Kennebec Pass, July 25, 2019 and September 11, 2019.
Left: Ryman Creek Trail, June 16, 2005.

In late spring or early summer Anemone multifida's finely cut, light green leaves are eye-catching.  But your eye may have first been caught by the hairy, half inch, pink to red to maroon to yellow to white flower sepals (Anemone lack petals). Often the sepals are bicolored.

Last year's dried leaves and stalks can be seen at the base of the new growth at left, so you know the plant is a perennial and that once you have found this delicate beauty, you can return to the same location and enjoy it again next year.

As the photographs at left, below, and above illustrate, Anemone multifida varies not only in flower color but also in the overall robustness of the plant. This species also has a wide range in elevation, from 6,500 feet to 14,000 feet. The plants shown on this page were growing at 8,200 feet (Ryman Creek) to 11,300 feet (Kennebec Pass).

Weber points out that the word "Anemone" is a "corruption of 'Na'man', [the] Semitic name for Adonis, from whose blood the crimson-flowered Anemone of the Middle East was said to have sprung."  Weber goes on to say that the flower name, "Anemone", "probably has nothing to do with [the] Greek [word], "anemos", [which means] "wind." "Multifida" is Latin for "many divisions", referring to the finely cut leaves.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Spring, summer.
Ryman Creek Trail, June 16, 2005; Lizard Head Pass, June 17, 2013; and River Trail, Telluride, June 21, 2016.

In the Four Corners area, strong shades of red predominate in the sepals, but sepals with blue, yellow, or white are possible.                          

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Spring, summer.
Cross Mountain Trail, July 15, 2013.

Leaves are three-parted and each part is cut again with each final division having pointed-to-rounded tips.

Montane, subalpine. Woodlands, meadows. Spring, summer.
Lizard Head Trail, August 4, 2010 and
Robertson Pasture Trail, Abajo Mountains, Utah, August 1, 2014.

Seed pods are cute, curious, even humorous works of art and when they fully ripen their heads are a mass of funny fluff.

Range map © John Kartesz,
Floristic Synthesis of North America

State Color Key

Species present in state and native
Species present in state and exotic
Species not present in state

County Color Key

Species present and not rare
Species present and rare
Species extirpated (historic)
Species extinct
Species noxious
Species exotic and present
Native species, but adventive in state
Eradicated
Questionable presence

Range map for Anemone multifida