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Ranunculaceae
Alpine Pasqueflower
Pulsatilla alpina
Mountain strength and purity.
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Genus
- Pulsatilla
- Native to
- Central Europe, Southern Europe
- Bloom season
- Spring, Summer
- Type
- perennial
- Height
- 6-18 in
- Sunlight
- full sun to partial shade
- Soil
- well-drained, alkaline, rocky
- Water
- moderate
- Hardiness
- 4-7
- Lifespan
- perennial
Did you know
- It blooms at altitudes up to 9,000 feet in the Alps, often emerging through melting snow in early summer.
- The feathery seed heads look like silvery pom-poms and persist long after the flowers fade, decorating alpine meadows.
- The subspecies apiifolia has yellow flowers instead of white and grows on acidic soils rather than limestone.
- Like all Pulsatilla species, it contains protoanemonin, a toxin that causes skin blistering if handled carelessly.
- Alpine pasqueflower is a key indicator species for botanists mapping the health of European alpine meadow ecosystems.
Color meanings
0
purity
1
high aspirations
2
anticipation