On Skopelos as on other islands and the Greek mainland, the appearance of anemones scattered across the fields and olive groves heralds the onset of spring. The beautiful flowers have petals from almost white, through the palest to the darkest pink. The numerous stamens are dark blue-black. The flower buds are surrounded by three green bracts but as the flowers develop the stem between the bracts and flowers lengthens. The seeds are spread by the wind giving the flowers the Greek name anemona (ανεμώνα), which has been latinised as the scientific name for the genus.