Breeding system studies of Anemone patens, A. pulsatilla ssp. pulsatilla, A. pulsatilla ssp. gotlandica, and A. pulsatilla ssp. grandis in cultivation showed that all taxa are self‐compatible. Fruit and seed set were usually low after auto‐deposition of pollen but increased in artificially self‐pollinated flowers. Cross‐pollination usually resulted in increased fruit and seed set compared with self‐pollination, but the level varied noticeably among crossing combinations and for different material due probably to the great variation in the frequency of fruit abortion. Plants of A. pulsatilla ssp. pulsatilla derived from one site showed especially low fruit set. Resource limitation is probably an important component determining reproductive success. No crossing barriers between taxa could be established. Significant differences between the three subspecies of A. pulsatilla were found for several morphological characters.