Planning Ahead with Pulsatilla Vulgaris, the European Pasque Flower

Pulsatilla vulgaris, the European Pasque Flower, is perennial in USDA horticultural zones 4-8, offering attractive bell-shaped flowers in the earliest days of spring. 

Gardeners may think that early spring planting is the way to go with this herbaceous perennial which will die back during the cold months and then return as the ground warms up. But planting the European Pasque Flower at the start of August gives this beauty enough time to get situated and ready for happy returns in the form of spring-greeting blooms next year.

Early-Season Blooms

Pulsatilla vulgaris blooms as early as April. Its flowers are long-lasting and come in several shades, with ‘Blaue Gloecke’, or ‘Blue Bell’, showing off very rich blue-purple “bells” that are perfectly sized to show up well on the lacy foliage of the plant. Don’t think of Lily of the Valley or other petite bell-shaped blooms when you think of this plant; the blooms of the Pasque Flower are quite sizable in relation to the overall size of the plant, ready to show well atop ground that is just greening up or even ground that is still dusted with some late-winter snow.

The plant’s stems, the outside of the bell shape formed by its petals, and its leaves have a visible fuzziness to them... appropriate cozy attire for the first chilly days of spring. With ‘Blaue Gloecke’, each rich blue-purple bloom draws in pollinators with its raised yellow center… an especially important feeding station at a time of year when most other plants are barely budding.

The Pasque Flower is in the Ranunculus (Buttercup) family. But whereas the familiar Ranunculus flower has many tight layers of petals that form a full 3-D orb of color, the blooms of the Pasque Flower plant are formed with a single layer of petals, and the petals bend just enough to create blooms in the shape of elongated bells. Bells… perfect for heralding the arrival of spring, and the joy of rebirth, new growth, and a new season full of flowers.

There are many species of Pulsatilla, with some being familiar to North American plant lovers. Ask residents of South Dakota about the Pasque Flower, and they may share that the American Pasque Flower, Pulsatilla hirsutissima, is their state plant. But Pulsatilla vulgaris, the European Pasque Flower, is a bit less familiar to North American plant lovers. Its color options range from white to rose to the rich blue-purple which is so appropriate for the time of year in which this plant blooms. 

“Pasque” is from the French “Pâques”, meaning Easter, and the Pasque Flower is one of the first flowering plants on the scene around Eastertime. If your Daffodils and Tulips are not quite ready as the weather breaks, Pulsatilla vulgaris will likely offer you the seasonal color you crave when the snow is either just melting or a not-so-distant memory.

What to Consider When Planting

Pulsatilla vulgaris does well in cooler regions but craves sunlight. It likes soil that drains beautifully, not wanting too much moisture once established.

The blooms of Pulsatilla vulgaris are not blooms you would use as cut flowers in your home. The plant contains sap that irritates the skin, and this has prompted growers to advise gardeners to wear gloves when transplanting the Pasque Flower. But the advice to wear gloves (indicating the need to take care, work carefully) is useful not only to the gardener but to the plant itself, as Pulsatilla vulgaris does best when undisturbed to the greatest extent possible. It can be transplanted, but it will not fare well with a lot of commotion.

When you get your gardening gloves on and are ready to plant a Pasque Flower, be careful to protect its long taproot. Engaging in gingerly handling and careful transplanting of this flowering plant will be key. Dig your hole deep enough to accommodate the taproot, loosen a spacious circle of soil, and check to be sure the location you choose has excellent drainage. Fill in the soil with the plant in place, and you will know that you have done some important work for which you will reap benefits next spring—early spring.

If your plant is mature enough to show evidence of having flowered—this will likely be the case with plants that you will buy at this time of year, around early August—then you might look forward to seed heads that contain silky filaments to carry Pulsatilla vulgaris seeds aloft. And you can use August and September to enjoy the lacy foliage of this plant, decorative in its own right. Knowing that you have done your work of selecting and digging in this plant nearing the end of this summer—and having the patience to wait until next year for new flowers—you will be in a good place to see the first-up flowers of this plant next spring.