Hepatica 2020

[Carsten]

Maiden forms are easy motherplants for crossings as they do not need to be prepared by removing the anthers. Both maiden forms show their crossing partners. Results will be seen in 3 or 4 years. The last pic is a seedling of Hepatica nobilis 'Freckles'.

[Leena]

At the beginning of the mountain biking season I am still slow enough to spot Hepaticas.

I am amazed how wonderful and different Hepaticas grow in your region. Really beautiful.
Here also Hepaticas are now flowering in early places. There has been snow some nights this week so all flowers have stopped to develop for a while, but it is good that Hepatica season doesn't go over very fast.
Hepatica japonicas which I planted outside last year are starting to flower and so are H.pubescens, though there were some flowers already in the autumn, and so only a few flowers now.

I dug up one H.nobilis and divided it, and it's root system was really large and went deep! I think it was about 25cm deep and as much to the sides, really a lot of fine roots. No wonder they can also grow in drier places when they have such a lot of roots.

[Gabriela]

Hepatica acutiloba 'Louise Koehler'

A beautiful acutiloba form Herman, sadly no one has it on offer here.

[Gabriela]

At the beginning of the mountain biking season I am still slow enough to spot Hepaticas.

Wonderful pictures Carsten! Amazing to find such filled forms in the wild! H. americana is not as inclined as nobilis (and japonica) to doubling. At most I found few multipetal forms.
Maiden forms show up here in there, mainly for H. americana.

We are not allowed in the woods  and any other wild areas, for now. The flowering is only beginning and I hope things will change. So, only Hepaticas from the garden can be enjoyed. The rabbits got a taste of them this year unfortunately.
H. acutiloba fo. rosea - the flowers were almost all eaten already


H. acutiloba, blue form, a rarity in my region where the majority are white, or pink


H. acutiloba white multipetal, the only such form I found to date


H. nobilis crenatuloba maiden form raised from seeds, may be a good candidate to cross with the white acutiloba

[Gabriela]

I am amazed how wonderful and different Hepaticas grow in your region. Really beautiful.
Here also Hepaticas are now flowering in early places. There has been snow some nights this week so all flowers have stopped to develop for a while, but it is good that Hepatica season doesn't go over very fast.
Hepatica japonicas which I planted outside last year are starting to flower and so are H.pubescens, though there were some flowers already in the autumn, and so only a few flowers now.

I dug up one H.nobilis and divided it, and it's root system was really large and went deep! I think it was about 25cm deep and as much to the sides, really a lot of fine roots. No wonder they can also grow in drier places when they have such a lot of roots.

That's good to hear Leena! Next week weather will improve here (cold now) and I will proceed with planting many potted 3 years old Hepatica - japonica and nobilis in the ground! I'll keep just a few in pots like a small collection.

[Leena]

We are not allowed in the woods  and any other wild areas, for now.

Thank goodness you have your own garden, it saves your spring.
H.acutiloba is very nice, my seedlings don't flower yet this year, but hopefully next year.
The multipetaled one is special.

This picture is from yesteday, it is H.japonica 'Hakurin' growing in the garden.  The brown in the middle of some of the flowers is maybe frost damage? Or from wet?
Still, very cute little Hepatica.

[Herman Mylemans]

Maiden forms show up here in there, mainly for H. americana.

We are not allowed in the woods  and any other wild areas, for now. The flowering is only beginning and I hope things will change. So, only Hepaticas from the garden can be enjoyed. The rabbits got a taste of them this year unfortunately.
H. acutiloba fo. rosea - the flowers were almost all eaten already
H. acutiloba, blue form, a rarity in my region where the majority are white, or pink
H. acutiloba white multipetal, the only such form I found to date

Gabriela, beautiful acutiloba's!

[Gabriela]

Gabriela, beautiful acutiloba's!

Thank you Herman, there are few more not flowering yet but they cannot replace seeing the flowering in wild. I still hope the access to woods/green areas will reopen in time.

[Gabriela]

Thank goodness you have your own garden, it saves your spring.
H.acutiloba is very nice, my seedlings don't flower yet this year, but hopefully next year.
The multipetaled one is special.

This picture is from yesteday, it is H.japonica 'Hakurin' growing in the garden.  The brown in the middle of some of the flowers is maybe frost damage? Or from wet?
Still, very cute little Hepatica.

Yes Leena, what would have been without the garden?!
Hakurin is very pretty I don't know what to say about the browning, H. americana and H. acutiloba can go through very low temp. without being affected. I noticed the flowers remain close in bad weather. Maybe the foliage on the ground retained too much moisture?

[Joakim B]

Gabriela is it Corona or risk of Forest forest fires that stop you entering the forest?
Here we can enjoy a long flowering time as it is cold and sunny.
I have not been to the forest as it is a bit of distant where they grow and we are to avoid longer travels. I am happy that I got my hepaticas in the ground last autumn. Having also found some seedlings make me happy even if only one is flowering size.

[Leena]

I got seeds of white Hepatica, some years ago. I assumed they were H.nobilis (they were given to only as white Hepatica), but the person who gave me seeds, has different ones.
I have been admiring this all April. Usually leaves of H.nobilis are tattered by spring, but with this plant, leaves are still in quite good condition (except some bug has eaten a bit of them). I can't make up my mind if this is H.nobilis or not..

[Gabriela]

Gabriela is it Corona or risk of Forest forest fires that stop you entering the forest?
Here we can enjoy a long flowering time as it is cold and sunny.
I have not been to the forest as it is a bit of distant where they grow and we are to avoid longer travels. I am happy that I got my hepaticas in the ground last autumn. Having also found some seedlings make me happy even if only one is flowering size.

Here the spring has just began (sort of) Joakim, there is no risk of forest fire until July or August! But conservation areas and all parks, provincial and national are closed to the public, due to Covid-19 (until further notice...).

[Gabriela]

I got seeds of white Hepatica, some years ago. I assumed they were H.nobilis (they were given to only as white Hepatica), but the person who gave me seeds, has different ones.
I have been admiring this all April. Usually leaves of H.nobilis are tattered by spring, but with this plant, leaves are still in quite good condition (except some bug has eaten a bit of them). I can't make up my mind if this is H.nobilis or not..

Looks like nobilis Leena, nice and robust; it would be impossible to say if a hybrid. I also raised from seeds a nobilis form with leathery foliage. Even the young seedlings last year retained a very beautiful, clean foliage until winter. Not in the garden yet though.
Here's a picture with it from a week or so ago. The flowers are blue in bud and then turn white while opening. It would look lovely in a group.

The weather turned cold and not much else has happened in the garden. But another H. nobilis var. pyrenaica form bloomed in the cold frame.
A different shade than the blue one. Too many pots 'in waiting', I cannot wait to start planting.

[Leena]

Looks like nobilis Leena, nice and robust; it would be impossible to say if a hybrid. I also raised from seeds a nobilis form with leathery foliage.

Thanks Gabriela. 

[Gabriela]

We're back to spring after a cold week, more Hepatica will start flowering in the garden. Wild areas are still forbidden, so I will miss seeing them
in the woods this spring.
This is the new 'normal' with sticks around all flowers; rabbits eat the leaves first then were starting with the flowers 
H. americana today