Pulsatilla vulgaris (pasqueflower)

Fluffy Flowers for Easter: Pasqueflowers

Posted on by Ann Mackay

The pasqueflowers (Pulsatilla vulgaris) are flowering slightly earlier than last year. That means they’re here in time for Easter, so they’re living up to their name. (The pasque part of the name comes from ‘paschal’, meaning ‘of or related to Easter’.)

The clumps are a bit bigger than last year, so there are more flowers too. Those fluffy, cup-shaped flowers are a most welcome sight. They seem to have settled into the garden here very well and they’re probably the most reliable of our spring flowers.

Pulsatilla vulgaris (pasqueflower)

But they don’t just look good – they feel nice too. Those fine hairs on the outside of the petals, buds and leaves are just as soft as they appear. I know this for certain, having spent a few minutes stroking them just to check! It’s not often that I think about how a plant feels as opposed to how it looks, but with these, the urge to touch is strong.

Although a native wildflower in the UK, the pasqueflower is rarely seen in the wild. It has become a well-loved garden flower, with nurseries and garden centres stocking plants with purple, white (‘Alba’) or deep red (‘Rubra’) flowers.

Pulsatilla vulgaris (pasqueflower)

I was hoping that I might have the opportunity to buy one or two more pasqueflower plants today. We were able to visit a garden centre for the first time in many months. (Probably since the end of last August.) It was a treat to be able to do this again and we did make sure to buy some plants. (But no pasqueflowers this time.)

Now that a few weeks have passed since having our first Covid jabs, we have enough protection to be able to explore the world again. Plant nurseries will be also able to open soon, so I’m feeling excited about being able to visit my favourites again. There’s a fair bit of border space that’s just waiting for some new plants to fill it!

If you celebrate it, I wish you a very happy Easter. And for everyone, I hope you enjoy your weekend.

A pasqueflower bud.

Published by Ann Mackay

Photographer, mixed-media art adventurer and completely daft about plants.......

33 thoughts on “Fluffy Flowers for Easter: Pasqueflowers”

  1. I also love these pretty, fuzzy flowers, Ann. Interestingly, I see them mainly in the wild, though I’m sure some people grow them in their gardens.
    Your post reminded me that I haven’t yet seen one, so I will have to pay closer attention.
    I hope you are enjoying your weekend as well.
    Tanja

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think they would have been seen in the wild over much of Europe and Scandinavia too. In Britain the cultivation of the areas they grew has wiped many of them out. It’s great to know that they do still grow in the wild somewhere! 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!

      Liked by 1 person

      1. We travelled to Maple Glen Garden this morning only to find a dramatic weather change meant we arrived there to pouring rain. So we drove on to the cafe at Fortrose and then, on our return, found the weather improving and ended up spending hours of the remaining afternoon at Maple Glen without getting rained on – yay! Happy Easter to you two too!

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      2. Thanks Liz! We’re having a gloriously sunny day today but it will be cold for a few days. So we’re making the most of it. Glad you were able to stay dry at Maple Glen! Makes a huge difference to a garden visit. 🙂

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  4. These are beautiful and you have captured that delightful fuzziness perfectly. I have a couple in my Belfast sink, but they are not doing very well. Where do you have yours planted and in what type of soil?

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Jude! 🙂 I have mine in very dry soil in a really sunny spot. They’re lime-loving plants – chalk grassland is their habitat in the wild. If they’re growing in compost that’s a bit acidic, it might be a problem. Hope you manage to get them going better.

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      1. Very dry is hard to replicate here! I will empty the sink and put mostly grit in it. I did read that they don’t like being disturbed so it might be a disaster. I did cover them this winter to keep off most of the rain, so they might be happier.

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      2. I hope it works out OK Jude! We don’t get much rain here, so it’s hard to know how they’d do somewhere wetter.

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    1. Thank you! I’m glad I was able to convey their softness. 🙂 (I would have replied to you sooner but my spam filter for comments seems to have gone a bit loopy! That’s the second comment that I’ve had to rescue from there. Hope it sorts itself out soon!)

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  8. Another gorgeous flower that I’ve never seen. Its softness reminds me of pussy willows, although those hairs also resemble a native plant here that you most certainly don’t want to touch. It’s name is escaping me just now and I’m on my ipad, which I’m not skilled in using, but I’ll find the name and bring it back. I saw some growing yesterday, and believe me — it was the hairs that said ‘beware’!

    Your photos are wonderful — as are those colors. They’re perfect for Easter!

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    1. Thank you! 🙂 they have the stroke-ability of pussy willows – very soft! The dangerous hairs that come to mind for me are the soft-looking hairs on some cacti – nasty because they can embed themselves in your skin so easily!

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    1. They are something different, with all that hair. You may be able to grow them, Syd – they like sun and well-drained soil. (Preferably a bit alkaline rather than acidic.) 🙂

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      1. If I can find them I will try them. I don’t see much going on in our Home Improvement stores right now – we do not have a lot of actual garden stores in our area – in fact I am not sure where one is. Anyway, may have to get out and investigate this.

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    1. Thanks Jill! I hope you had a lovely Easter weekend. We got out to a garden centre for the first time since last August or September. Bought a few plants, so very happy! 🙂

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      1. I went to a garden centre a couple of weeks ago. I knew it would be quiet and was able to sneak around away from anyone, and mostly outside. Sadly the nasturtiums I bought have been almost killed off by frost. I’ve brought the tub inside till the sub zero and snow showers are gone.

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      2. It’s a shame about the nastutiums, Jill – I hope the rest survive. DH has geraniums and other plants in under cover at the moment too. Can’t trust the weather just now, it seems to swing from one thing to another!

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