Bion, in his elegy on Adonis said, ‘“Blood brings forth roses, tears anemone.” Adonis, according to Bion is nothing but a rose. Different people seem to refer to this autumn flower with different names. Plini called it anemone while others said it is the poppy flower. But in recent times Adonis is more popularly known as the pheasant’s eye as it is believed that it originated from the blood of the wounded hunter of the fable.

The popular Adonis bears dazzling flowers which are of the deepest shade of yellow and looks more or less like buttercups. The leaves of Adonis are highly decorative and finely cut. The first bloom appears in April and it flowers till May or June. The plant grows to a height of about 1 foot.

Due to its showy appearance and bright colour, Adonis is popularly regarded as a decorative garden flower and widely used for garden borders. The plant thrives best in any kind of light soil which is good and can grow in both sunny climates and in shades.