The crown anemone looks like a small, violet poppy. It is indigenous to the Mediterranean region including the Maltese islands but it is not as frequent as it is claimed to be.

It flowers from January to March and is found mostly in garigue and maquis habitat, especially in sheltered valleys such as Wied il-Għasel in Mosta and Wied Qirda near Żebbuġ.

The flower is borne on top of a tall stem. It loves the sun and is happiest on bright sunny days; as soon as the sun disappears, it closes up.

I realised how fast the petals can close when I was taking a picture and blocked the sun with my camera. By the time I had finished setting up the camera, the petals had already started to close.

In Maltese, the crown anemone is known as kaħwiela, a name derived from ikħal, the little used Maltese word for blue.

It is a perennial species that survives summer as an underground corm. It grows between 20 and 40cm high, but all the specimens I have seen in Malta were on the smaller side, not growing much higher than 20cm.

The crown anemone has been in cultivation for a very long time and many cultivars and varieties have been developed. Last year this species was chosen as the national flower of Israel.

The plant is slightly poisonous if eaten in large quantities. Poisoning can take place by ingestion or by absorption through the skin. Its fresh sap can cause inflammation and blistering if touched and, if swallowed, it induces vomiting and diarrhoea.

Last year this species was chosen as the national flower of Israel

The anemone belongs to the buttercup family. About 120 species of anemones have been identified, most of which are found in the cooler parts of the world.

Ovid, the Roman poet who lived 43BC to AD17 or AD18, wrote in his poem Metamorphoses that the anemone was created when the goddess Venus sprinkled nectar on the blood of her dead lover Adonis.

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