This lovely wood anemone blooms unusually alone. She's a forerunner, the firstling. Her allies are still hiding under the leaves, perhaps waiting for the last frost to pass. Together they will form a carpet of tiny flowers that gratefully turn their white heads towards the sun, or leave them hanging mourning at the end of the day. Forest anemones hold their ground. Their presence pays tribute to ancient forests or places where once stood old forest. They have the talent to fertilise themselves, with the help of bees and flies. Their fruits are poetically called ant sandwiches, because they are spread by ants. Forest anemones adorn the shady oak and beech forests, hence their Latin name, Anemone nemorosa or shady anemone.