This is a genus of about 120 species that are native to the temperate zones of the world. They are closely related to the plants in the genus, Pulsatilla and the genus Hepatica. The name comes from the Greek word for "wind". Anemone was the Greek goddess who was the daughter of the wind. An old myth said the plant only blooms when it is windy.

There are several different forms of anemome which are commonly used in the landscape. Several such as windflowers, poppy anemone and pasqueflowers are spring blooming plants. Others such as Japanese anemone and grape leaf anemone are much larger plants that bloom in the autumn.