How to Care for a Dying Rue Anemone

Rue anemone (Anemonella thalictroides) carpets the ground in delicate white or pale pink flowers during spring. Although the flowers resemble true anemones, rue anemone is an unrelated plant. The plant grows in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 through 8, where it naturalizes in shady beds that mimic the plant's native woodlands. Rue anemone dies back each year in late spring and spends its summer dormant. The flowers will return the following spring if you provide the plant with proper care as it dies for the season.

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Leaf mulch

Stop watering as the foliage begins to wilt in late summer or early spring and allow the leaves to die down naturally. Too much water can cause the rue anemone roots to rot as the plant dies and enters dormancy.

Cut back the dead foliage after it dies back completely, removing it at the soil surface. Dispose of or compost the dead leaves. The foliage can harbor fungal organisms that attack the rue anemone when it reemerges in spring if it's left in the garden.

Cover the bed with a 1- to 2-inch layer of leaf mulch after cutting back. The leaf mulch shades the ground so the roots don't overheat and prevents the soil from drying completely. Decaying leaf mulch also emulates the rue anemone's natural environment and provides the plant with all the nutrients it needs for healthy growth.

Rue anemones rarely suffer from disease, although they can contract fungal infections if the soil is kept too wet.

A shaded location helps ensure the plants survive their summer dormancy. Grow them under deciduous trees so they receive light shade during the spring growth period and heavier shade after they die back in early summer.

Rue anemone is mildly toxic if ingested