Description: Early-blooming purple flowers with feathery seed heads. 6in height
Growth Habit: Low-growing, clump-forming perennial.
Sun/Shade: Full sun to partial shade.
Water Needs: Low to moderate; prefers well-drained soil.
Soil Preferences: Well-drained, sandy or loamy soil.
Benefits: Attracts early-season pollinators. Deer-resistant. Adds early spring color to gardens.
 
From Prairie Moon Nursery: Pasque Flower is one of the first perennial flowers to bloom in spring. The delicate lavender flowers appear before the leaves of the plant. In addition to the beautiful, early bloom, other desirable qualities of the Pasque Flower are its height (only about 6"), ability to grow in dry soils, the attractive furry leaves that remain well into the summer, and even the silvery plume-like seedhead.  Pasque Flower is calciphilic so therefore needs an alkaline soil with a pH of 7 to 8.

You may also see this species called simply Anemone patens, Pulsatilla patens or Pulsatilla nuttalliana. In South Dakota, where it is the state flower, this well-known native plant will be referred to as the May Day Flower, Meadow Anemone, Easter Flower, or Wind Flower.  It is a member of the Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family.