The wood anemone plant lives for many years. It has a brown stick-like underground stem. In early spring it uses some of the food stored there to grow a flower stalk. There are three leaves attached to the flower stalk which begin making food as they open.

Insect pollinated plants usually have a ring of sepals which protect the rest of the flower in bud and then a ring of petals inside the sepals. The wood anemone is unusual because it does not have any petals. Their job is done by the sepals which are large and white. On the inside of the sepal the white surface is tinged with pink while on the outside of the sepal the surface is tinged with purple. Inside the ring of sepals there is a ring of stamens surrounding the female part of the flower as in many other plants. The flower is connected to its stalk in such a way that even a slight breeze causes the flower to turn and face away from the wind. This may help to protect the more delicate inner parts of the flower from icy blasts that occur in the early spring.

When the flowers have opened, the plant sends up more leaves to make food. All the food made by the leaves is used for new growth, storage for the following year or to make the fruits. The fruits are like tiny nuts and each one contains a single seed.

Wood anemones mostly grow in number by sending out underground runners. That is why they can make a carpet of flowers. The flowers die back after the spring.