Native to the cold landscapes of Siberia, Mongolia and northern China, Pulsatilla turczaninovii is one of the earliest spring flowers. Its common name, pasqueflower, derives from the Old French pasque (‘Easter’), as the plant’s blooming coincides with this period. The specific epithet turczaninovii commemorates Nikolai Turczaninow (1796–1864), the Russian botanist who documented the flora of the Baikal region and Dauria.