The delicate and lovely Rue Anemone is one of the first spring native plant to bloom.  The above picture was taken in our personal garden in late March of 2016.   We had a very cold winter (by Georgia’s standards) to our joy we discovered these little white flowers telling us that spring has finally arrived.

The Cherokee would make an infusion of the root to treat diarrhea.   An infusion of the root was also taken for vomiting.    Rue Anemone is found in all of North Georgia in any area where it is left undisturbed on the forest floor so it would have readily available for the Cherokee.

Rue Anemone is a perennial that can grow to nine inches tall and is in the Buttercup family.   It does well in medium, well drained soils in part to full shade.   It can colonize by the spread of its root system.   This plant always goes dormant in the heat of summer but will always return the next spring if left undisturbed.    In my garden I have a circle of small stones and a plant tag surrounding the Anemone so I will know where it is even when it is dormant.   You do not want to harm the plant by digging in it roots by mistake.

If you live in an area where there is not authorized plant rescues, there are native plant nurseries that will have the Rue Anemone for sale. Make sure you are getting the native Rue Anemone and not its Japanese cousin.   It is well worth it because even though it is small in stature it is a very hardy perennial.