This is a taxonomically problematic species. Within the species P. patens several subspecies have been described; populations from central Europe belong to the nominate subspecies P. patens ssp. patens (Mereďa and Hodálová 2011).

European regional assessment: Data Deficient (DD)
EU 27 regional assessment: Data Deficient (DD)

Pulsatilla patens is native to eastern and Central Europe, Sweden and Poland and extends into European Russia and western Siberia. The populations are declining nearly everywhere in its range. Main threats are abandonment of grazing, forest plantations and forest management, quarrying, invasion of non-native species, collection, and eutrophication from agriculture. This species is classed as Data Deficient as there are declines everywhere as evidenced in the species being marked as threatened in several national red list. There is no information on whether the species has strong and abundant populations anywhere. More information on the overall rate of decline in the last three generations is needed to review whether it would qualify for threatened under Criterion A.

Pulsatilla patens is native to eastern and Central Europe, Sweden and Poland and extends into western Siberia. It can also be found in several regions of Russia (Central, Eastern, Northern, Northwestern and Southern European Russia and Kaliningrad) (I. Illarionova pers. comm. 2010). In Ukraine, it grows in the lowland part from the Polesian lowland to the northern part of the steppe zone, and it is rare in the eastern slopes of the Carpathian Mountains.

The population has been estimated for many countries (Commission of the European Communities 2009):

• Czech Republic: 15 localities and 1,500-2,000 tufts, slowly decreasing
• Estonia: 56,000 - 57,000 tufts
• Lithuania: 96 -100 localities
• Latvia: 100 - 200 local.
• Poland: 500 - 1,450 localities
• Sweden: 40,000 individuals

In the Baltic States, there are still new populations being found after forest fires but near big cities the populations are decreasing. Overall a slow decline has bee noted. In Germany, the species is only found at one locality near Munich. It was present in further federal estates but is now extinct in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Brandenburg and Berlin (Bundesamt für Naturschutz 2010). In Hungary, there is one locality with less than ten flowering individuals and a decreasing trend. Most populations disappeared several decades ago.
In Slovakia the richest subarea is in the Slovenský kras Karst, more northward there are sporadic occurrences in the Slovenské rudohorie Mts (Predné holisko Mt.), Spišské kotliny Basins (Primovce) and Slánske vrchy Mts (Kapušany). In the past it was present in localities from the Záhorská nížina Lowland (between Lozorno and Plavecký Štvrtok and between Bílkové Humence and Senica) and on other sites in the Slovenské rudohorie Mts (Štós) and Spišskzé kotliny Basins (Spišské Vlachy) (Mereďa and Hodálová 2011). The Slovakian populations in the Slovenský kras Karst include hundreds to thousands of individuals; in the remaining areas the number of plants on individual sites is low. In the Ukraine, the populations are small in area and number of individuals. The population density reaches eight individuals/m² in forest habitats and ten individuals/m² in steppe habitats.

This species occurs in dry coniferous forests, Pinus sylvestris woodland south of the taiga, Picea taiga woodland, forest fringes and clearances in forests, almost bare rock pavements, including limestone pavements, steep slopes, dry grasslands and sandstone rocks (Commission of the European Communities 2009). It is known to grow on ranker soil and in dry sand steppe on acidic soil (in Hungary). In Ukraine, it is a member of the associations Querceto-Pinetum molinietosum, Peucedano-Pinetum, Festuco-Pinetum sylvestris and found in steppe communities Festuco-Brometea class.

This plant grows in the following Habitats Directive listed habitats (Commission of the European Communities 2009):

• 2180 Wooded dunes of the Atlantic, Continental and Boreal region
• 4030 European dry heaths
• 40A0 Subcontinental peri-Pannonic scrub
• 6110 Rupicolous calcareous or basophilic grasslands of the Alysso-Sedion albi
• 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia)
  
• 6260 Pannonic sand steppes
• 9010 Western Taïga
• 91T0 Central European lichen Scots pine forests

In grasslands, the abandonment of grazing regimes or lack of mowing and cutting is a threat as it leads to vegetation succession and overgrowth with woody plants that increases the competition for Pulsatilla patens. Forest plantations and forest management can impact this species as it is light demanding and can be outcompeted by other plants not only due to the closing of the tree layer but also the moss layer - it needs a natural forest dynamic. A management regime that keeps open places in forests will benefit this species, even artificial fires. Quarrying of sand and gravel can be a threat to the species but in other cases help the species to find new open habitat. Invasion of species such as Robinia pseudoacacia or Lupinus polyphyllus cause a loss of habitat quality and increase competition. Collection of the species is a threat. Further negative affects are posed by fertilisers and eutrophication from agriculture.

Collection and digging up of the species from the wild to plant in private gardens is a threat.

Pulsatilla patens is listed on Annex II of the Habitats Directive and under Appendix I of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats (Bern Convention). It is protected several countries and included in national red lists:

• Czech Republic: Classed as Critically Endangered (Holub and Procházka 2000) and protected in highest category.
• Estonia: Listed as Near Threatened (Lilleleht 2008)
• Finland: Endangered (EN) A2ac; C1+2a(i) (Rassi et al. 2010)
  
• Germany: Critically Endangered (level 1) (Ludwig and Schnittler 1996)
• Hungary: Critically Endangered (Király 2007) and strictly protected
• Latvia: included in Red Data Book (Andrušaitis 2003), protected and collection is forbidden.
• Lithuania: Vulnerable (Rašomavičius 2007), protected and collection is forbidden
• Slovakia: Classified as Endangered and protected in four Natura 2000 sites covering 77.8% of its localities in Slovakia (Mereďa and Hodálová 2011)
• Sweden: Near Threatened (Gärdenfors 2010)
• Russia: Classed as Vulnerable (VU) A4c (I. Illarionova pers. comm. 2010)
• Ukraine: Included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (Diduch 2009) and protected in the reserve Medobory, in the national parks Podilski Tovtry and Desnjansko-starogutskij and in many protected areas and nature monuments in Ukraine.

The species occurs in protected areas, and especially Natura 2000 sites throughout its range. In terms of conservation measures, it is recommended to cut grassland swards with this species only after their dissemination (Mereďa and Hodálová 2011).