Images Depict Mature Plants
Pretty Lady Susan Anemone
Anemone × hybrida ‘Pretty Lady Susan’
Pretty Lady Susan Anemone is a smart choice when you like Japanese anemones but do not want a tall, spreading back-of-border plant. The dark pink flowers give you strong late-season color, and the shorter habit makes it easier to use near walkways, patios, containers, and smaller part-shade beds. Give it moisture, filtered light, and a little room to fill out.
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A Compact Japanese Anemone with Dark Pink Late-Season Flowers
Dark Pink Flowers on a Shorter Japanese Anemone
Pretty Lady Susan Anemone is a compact fall-blooming perennial known for large dark-pink flowers, yellow centers, and a shorter garden habit than many traditional Japanese anemones. Part of the Pretty Lady Series, this cultivar brings the graceful late-season look of Japanese anemones into smaller borders, containers, and part-shade planting spaces.
The flowers appear from late summer into early fall and rise above attractive green foliage on upright stems. Their rich pink color makes Pretty Lady Susan especially useful where gardeners want a bolder pink alternative to softer selections like September Charm, but with a shorter, tidier habit.
A Pretty Lady Series Anemone for Smaller Gardens
Pretty Lady Susan stands out for offering a Japanese anemone charm in a more compact form. Instead of reaching 3–4 feet like many older fall-blooming anemones, this selection typically stays around 14–18 inches tall, making it easier to place near border fronts, walkways, patio edges, and containers.
Its compact size also makes it useful in smaller gardens where taller anemones may feel out of place. Plant several together for a stronger bloom effect, or repeat them through a part-shade bed for rhythm and late-season color.
Single Pink Flowers with Yellow Stamens
Pretty Lady Susan produces large, single, dark-pink flowers, often up to 2 inches across. Each bloom has a bright yellow center that adds contrast and helps the flowers stand out against the green foliage.
The single flower form gives the plant a clean, open look that pairs beautifully with hostas, ferns, hellebores, heuchera, brunnera, astilbe, sedum, ornamental grasses, asters, turtlehead, and black-eyed Susans. It works well in cottage gardens, woodland edges, and mixed perennial beds where natural movement and seasonal bloom are part of the design.
Late-Season Color for Part Shade and Containers
Pretty Lady Susan Anemone performs well in part shade, especially in bright filtered light or morning sun with afternoon shade. In cooler climates, it can also grow in full sun if soil moisture stays consistent. In hotter regions, afternoon shade helps protect foliage and flowers.
Because of its shorter habit, Pretty Lady Susan is also useful in containers and patio planters. Use it as a late-season filler where its pink flowers can be seen up close. Consistent moisture is especially important when growing Japanese anemones in containers.
Low Maintenance with Moisture and Good Drainage
Plant Pretty Lady Susan Anemone in rich, moist, well-drained soil. It prefers consistent moisture and performs best where the soil does not dry out for long periods. Mulch helps conserve moisture and keep the root zone cool.
Cut back old stems and foliage in late winter or early spring, before new growth begins. Deadheading is optional during bloom season. In good conditions, the plant can gradually expand into a fuller clump, but its compact size makes it easier to manage than many larger Japanese anemones.
| Hardiness Zone: | 4-8 |
|---|---|
| Mature Height: | 14 to 18 Inches |
| Mature Width: | 16 to 18 Inches |
| Sunlight: | Part shade preferred; tolerates full sun in cooler climates with consistent moisture |
| Soil | Average to fertile, moist, well-drained soil |
| Water | Water regularly after planting; prefers consistent moisture and should not dry out for long periods |
| Bloom Time / Color | Late summer to early fall; large single dark-pink flowers with yellow centers |
| Ornamental Features | Compact habit, dark pink flowers, yellow stamens, late-season bloom, container-friendly size |
| Wildlife Value | Flowers may attract bees and other late-season pollinators |
| Water Requirements: | Water well until established |
| Resistance | Generally deer resistant; low maintenance with consistent moisture; compact and manageable compared with taller Japanese anemones |
| Landscape Uses | Fall border, part shade garden, woodland edge, cottage garden, mixed perennial bed, container filler, patio planting, border front, mass planting, late-season pollinator planting |
How to Care for Pretty Lady Susan Anemone
Once you buy an Anemone Pretty Lady Susan, make sure to read about the care instructions that are recommended to keep this plant healthy and thriving.
What Kind of Soil Does my Anemone Pretty Lady Susan Plant Need?
Your Anemone Pretty Lady Susan plant thrives best in rich, organic, well-draining soil conditions. This perennial also prefers to have consistently moist soil to ensure they do not dry out and wilt. If their soil is too dry, this plant will not produce as many flowers as it is capable of blooming. However, it is important not to overwater your perennials. Too much water could cause root rot disease and damage your plant's roots- and could even kill them if not treated quickly. If you live in a cold region of the United States, you should apply a layer of mulch around your plant during the winter to ensure it remains healthy and its soil does not dry out.
What is the Best Fertilizer for my Anemone Pretty Lady Susan Plant?
We recommend feeding your Anemone Pretty Lady Susan in early spring and again in mid-summer after all new growth has hardened off- and it begins to set flower buds. Espoma Bio-tone starter fertilizer is the best product to use at the time of planting. Our ideal fertilizer schedule for you to use is as follows. In the early spring, apply a fertilizer like Espoma Plant-Tone at the recommended rate. Doing so will give your plant a boost of nitrogen potash for healthy foliage and stem growth. Follow this up with an early summer application of Espoma Flower-Tone. Doing so will again provide the necessary nutrients to promote a flush of beautiful flowers. Espoma products are easy to use; sprinkle around the base of the plant and water it in. Be careful with products such as miracle-grow, as these products can burn newly planted plants when not used at the recommended rates. Slow-release fertilizer can help prevent rapid soft growth that is vulnerable to diseases and insects.
How do I Prune my Anemone Pretty Lady Susan Plant?
Remove the old flowers of Anemone Pretty Lady Susan as they become brown and unattractive. This procedure, called deadheading, encourages the Anemone plant to produce new flowers, keeping your plant looking attractive throughout the season. Deadheading also prevents Anemone Pretty Lady Susan from spreading through your yard. Remove the brown stems and leaves to give your plant a healthier and more attractive appearance. Cut back Anemone Pretty Lady Susan to within 6 inches of the ground after it has finished flowering. In colder climates, cut it back as one of the last chores in your garden before the snow flies. In warmer temperatures, cut it back in the spring before it begins to bud.
How Much Sun Does my Anemone Plant Require?
Anemone plants can survive in full sun to partially shaded areas. If you live in a cold region, your plant will thrive in full sunlight, but if you live in a warm region, plant your perennial in an area that receives partial shade. Doing so will allow your plant to have some rest time out of the sun, particularly the hot midday sunlight. Too much bright sunlight could scorch your plant's foliage and flowers.
