Hmmmm, these little woodland treasures are, unfortunately, way up with named hepaticas, as expensive gems not appropriate for the rough and tumble of my gardening style (idle, impatient, easily bored).

Course, I am happy to see them in someone else's gardens.

I wonder if Oscar Schoaf is the same person as the 'Shoaf's Double'? Different spelling, but the plant looks very similar in pictures.

I have 'Shoaf's Double' and it is a nice little plant. Little is the key word. Mine has been in a few years and it is now about 10" across, which I'm actually very happy with. The color on the flowers is a nice rich darker pink. This shot was taken when it first started blooming (end of April) and I was pleasantly surprised when it put out many, many more flowers when I didn't even notice a lot of buds. There is one flower still lingering on the plant today.
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I also have Cameo. This is also a double pink but it is much lighter in color. I do have to say that it seems more robust in both size and bloom. It was loaded with flowers but the pink did fade over time, as opposed to the 'Shoaf's Double' which did not really seem to lose its color. This pic of 'Cameo' was taken on the same day as the above.
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Thanks so much for your pictures and comments thyme2dig (from my readings "Oscar Shoaf" and "Shoaf's Double" are the same plant).

I don't mind the diminutive size as I have a specific location in mind which requires the plant to be less than a foot in height.

It is my understanding that these Anemonellas go completely dormant in the summer. Has that been your experience?

Are your plants located in a shady location?

Do yours bloom for many weeks?

This post was edited by rouge21 on Wed, Jun 19, 13 at 10:03

It is my understanding that 'Oscar Shoaf' and 'Shoaf's Double' are the same plant. I planted a small one last spring but did not site it correctly. I never realized just how dainty it was until it got completely shadowed and overgrown by plants I never thought would be poor companions. That said, when I saw the tiny shoots popping up this spring, I dug it up and moved it to a more amenable location. It still managed to perform well, but with all the stress it has not yet multiplied. Blooms were larger than expected, a good half-inch across.

I also grow a rarer one (not that any of them are common) called 'Green Hurricane'. I also had to move it this spring due to the same reasons as above. The plant was already larger than 'Shoaf's Double' when I bought it, but I was able to divide it into two small clumps already. It also put on a nice little show, but the clumps are still too small to have much of a general (rock) garden impact.

Do I like these plants? Yes! Would I plant them again? Yes! Since the blooms are sterile, they will stay in good condition for weeks, especially if the weather remains moderate or cool.

Like a lot of other ephemeral plants, these will die down by midsummer if under stress (drought and/or extreme heat) but will stay leafy green for much longer if provided with adequate moisture. The best rates of multiplication and best flowering occur when the clumps remain green for as long as possible each season since they are able to store more energy (just like trilliums or Geranium maculatum).

These are gorgeous and collectible little plants. Just don't expect to be truly wowed by them until they have established undisturbed for several years.

Rouge, lots of good info above. Mine are in a shadier site with some afternoon sun. I have them at the edge of a shade border set on their own a bit. Since they're on the edge, once they die back the edge just becomes a little wider. They're also more visible at the edge of the border. These little plants would be great up on a wall somehow where they are closer to eye level. Even as dainty as they are, if they're sited well in the border they will be noticeable. I bought a double white one this year and I'm curious to see how that performs. It is sited in a little bit more sun.

They started blooming in late April and 'Shoaf Double' has one bloom left on it. You get a solid 4 weeks of nice bloom. Mine usually do not die out until August timeframe (if I'm remembering correctly). Didn't make an exact mental note on when they die back.

Expensive little buggers, but I think worth it. I tend to spend big bucks on shade plants that really appeal to me and these were right up my alley.

lots of good info above.

Definitely. Thank you so much for all your help ispahan.

You get a solid 4 weeks of nice bloom.

That's a nice long bloom duration for a plant that will go dormant.

Expensive little buggers, but I think worth it. I tend to spend big bucks on shade plants

Good reasoning.

And it is quite pricey ( $24 for a plant from the source I have in mind).

UPDATE:

I was able to see a couple of "Anemonellas" at the nursery which were actually in the ground and they were so small (even though they were a few years old). Definitely a plant that must be admired very close up.

This post was edited by rouge21 on Mon, Jun 24, 13 at 13:50