I am now thinking about flowers that will appear next spring. I have Alliums, Anemone Blanda (corms), daffs and planted just this summer after getting lots of advice here...many epimediums.
But recently I saw a picture of a lovely flower which I think is Hepatica transsilvanica "Buis":
Firstly it seems that these "Hepaticas" are quite similar to my corm Anemones. They aren't the same...right?
I would love to hear of your experience with "Hepaticas" in your garden. I am all ears.
Tell me about "Hepaticas".
Hi, Rouge. I've grown many hepaticas and love them.
Unfortunately, I'm away from my computer for 2 wks so can't post pix.
Beware, you can easily get hooked on them, as there are some astonishing cultivars. I've seen some of the fancy double-flower forms listed for hundreds of dollars. But the straight species is also beautiful. I'll post pix eventually when back to my computer.
I just got a bag of bare roots ones from American Meadow -- well, maybe 6 weeks ago -- and to date they haven't shown any signs of growth.
Mine are definitely in dry shade. I'm hoping eventually they'll assert themselves. Part of the problem is that I need to move the bed in which I planted them (because it turns out I need to run a path right through their location), but I'm loathe to do it when I don't know exactly where they are! I did put in markers, but that's all I have to go by.
I suppose the subtext is that I could water them every day and see if that prompts some growth.
Mine were planted bareroot a few weeks ago, and haven't made an appearance yet....
Mine still haven't done anything -- and as I said, I have to move them, which may be the death knell since I don't know exactly where they sit in the soil.
I bought some Hepatica as bare root and planted it in the spring. There are three plants and 7 leaves between them. They haven't done anything all summer but they haven't died either so we'll see how they do. Usually the bed their in is fairly moist but we've had several dry spells this growing season. We'll see how they do.
I have not had good luck with any of the bare root plants I bought this year, Hepaticas and otherwise -- I'm a tad annoyed ....
I've been itching to get back in town so I can post some pictures of my hepaticas! I really love them, one of my very favorite plants. But their only value is their beautiful early spring bloom. Don't expect anything from them the rest of the year. And I think they also need a wooded setting - I can't see them in a formal border. It's always a thrill to see them poking thru the dead leaves announcing the end to dreary winter! Mine have reseeded over the years - not really spreading - I think I have about the same number of plants as before, but colors vary, location varies, so I think they reseed and die out at about an equal rate. Blues, purples & whites and all shades in between. I even bought a double form (pic #4) which is really beautiful. I have to be careful to keep his position marked. I always worry about them being smothered by fallen leaves, but they seem to push their blooms thru just fine. Pic #5 is a curiosity called hepatica japonica (the others are usually either h. nobilis or h. acutiloba, though I've got a couple h. henryii and h. transylvannica, too). The h. japonica flowers seem to have an almost 'striped' appearance; it's a young plant, so I'm eager to see what flowers look like next year on a more mature plant. I could post hundreds of hepatica pictures; I think they're so beautiful and they bloom at a time of year when you're starved for the yard to show signs of life again; it's hard to stop taking pictures!
Wow, those are beautiful Weerobin :)
I think Hepaticas would work in a more formal order, because mine is always a perfect mound. I do also have a few babies that I'm trying in dry shade beneath a pine.
These pics show hepaticas growing in three different places along the same stream near our cabin in NC. The second pic is a moss and hepatica covered bolder at the base of a waterfall and I've seen it in bloom but didn't have a camera with me at the time. I'm keeping a plant alive here in GA but it doesn't warrant a picture. Eleven, you have a nice looking plant. And Weerobin, your flower pics are, as always, stunning.
I've never stumbled across hepaticas in the wild - I love that one tumbling down the boulder.
It would be great to see it in bloom. We'll expect to see pix next spring!
As for my hepaticas, there's a reason my pictures just show the flowers -
my plants aren't anywhere near as nice as eleven's. I'm completely jealous.
There's nothing full or formal about mine - they sprawl here & there.
I think it's maybe because mine grow in an area with such dense leaf litter.
It's amazing to me that they can push up through all the leaves.
I've got such a big woodland, removing fallen leaves has never been realistic.
Maybe I'll try to do a better job next year where my hepaticas are.
Eleven: How do you keep your Galium Odoratum from invading your Hepaticas?
Does anyone know of a good place to get nice Hepaticas online? The place I bought mine from in the spring sent me subquality plants. Thanks!
P.S. Back40bean, your wild hepatica pics are really cool!
Sequoia: When I said dry shade beneath the pine, I really meant a area of such intense root competition that the sweet woodruff at the bottom of the picture has died back this year. I'm taking out the pine this weekend, so maybe someday I will have trouble controlling the groundcover! I can only hope.
Ok, I only mentioned that because our Galium Odoratum is quite the spreader and I have to rip it out so it doesn't invade our Cylcamen but it won't grow well in dry shade so that's probably why it died back. Good luck with the tree removal :)
If you like hepaticas, check some of these out:
http://www.hepatica.eu/en/2010/09/17/hepatica-japonica-karako-zaki-2/
Don't bother looking for sources, unless you're willing to shell out $100 or more for a single plant. But it's fun to window shop...
Wow those are gorgeous!
Cindy, once you collect your lottery winnings, here's where you can buy them:
http://www.thimblefarms.com/japanese%20hepatica.html
I think they're Canadian dollars.
I'm not sure which is better these days...