ONH

Western Anemone

Anemone occidentalis

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    1 - Western Anemone, Anemone occidentalis.

    07/29/2012 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    2 - Western Anemone.

    07/29/2012 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    3 - Western Anemone, closeup of a flower showing the hairy underside of the sepals and the bluish color at the base of the sepals.

    08/06/2011 Obstruction Point Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    4 - Western Anemone, a slightly older flower.

    05/30/2015 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    5 - Western Anemone, a slightly older flower.

    05/30/2015 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    6 - Western Anemone flower after the sepals have fallen.

    07/29/2012 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    7 - Western Anemone new seed heads.

    07/29/2012 Obstruction Point Road, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    8 - Western Anemone seed head. The plant is growing in heavy scree.

    09/03/2011 Obstruction Point Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    9 - Western Anemone seed head.

    07/19/2009 Hurricane Hill Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    10 - Western Anemone mature seed heads.

    09/14/2007 Obstruction Point Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    11 - Western Anemone mature seed heads. From the top, the seeds are visible.

    09/14/2007 Obstruction Point Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

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    12 - Western Anemone mature seed heads. Seeds removed from one side of the head.

    08/20/2009 Obstruction Point Area, Olympic National Park, Washington

The flowers of Western Anemone, Anemone occidentalis, are some of the most showy in the higher Olympics (alpine and subalpine). Western Anemone blooms immediately after the snow cover melts away. The flowers soon turn to unique and equally showy seed heads on tall stalks. Alternative common names include Western Pasque Flower and two that comically refer to the seed head, Tow-Headed Baby and Moptop.

The flowers, which have 5-8 petal-like mostly white sepals, span 4 to 7 centimeters. The pollen-carrying anthers give the flower a yellow center. The seed head, technically a hairy achene, grows longer-haired through the short season. The leaves look a little like parsley.