It is native to the forests of Washington, Oregon, and northern California in western North America, generally below 7,000 feet (2,100 m) elevation.

[2][3][4] The Oregon anemone was first formally named by Asa Gray in 1887.

A single basal leaf made up of three large leaflets on a 40–200 mm (2–8 in) petiole may be present.

Its margin is sharply toothed on the distal half or third and its tip is pointed.

The flower has no petals but 5 to 7 petal-like sepals in any of several colors, usually blue or purple but sometimes reddish, pink, white, or bicolored.