Hepatica 2020

[ashley]

Just a few H. acutiloba from the wild ...

Such beautiful plants Gabriela.  Thank you for showing them.

My apology for a tangential question but in your third photo above I suppose this is Trillium grandiflorum, with many single-stemmed plants.  Presumably this is usual, due to abundant seed production and limited space (Canada ) but do these plants readily form clonal clumps where there's less crowding?

[Gabriela]

Glad you enjoy it Ashley. I posted in a bit of a hurry and didn't put all names (also wrote 'feeding on nectar' instead 'on pollen' - but no one noticed, hmm..).

Now that you mention Ashley, I have to say that if I think at all my usual hiking places, the fact that they are crowded or not doesn't seem to make a difference in forming clonal clumps. Even in sparse populations many are solitary. It may be genetic? or stimulated by environmental conditions? I will pay closer attention in the future.

I also have to point out that not everywhere can be seen that abundance of Trillium grandiflorum (or Hepatica). Even in what's called here 'high quality woods' it happens somehow I should say, 'in pockets'. One can hike for a while seeing just few Trilliums here and there and then will stumble upon a dense, localized population. A sign that ants and other 'thieves' don't carry the seeds to long distances.

[ashley]

Glad you enjoy it Ashley. I posted in a bit of a hurry and didn't put all names (also wrote 'feeding on nectar' instead 'on pollen' - but no one noticed, hmm..).

It seemed entirely plausible to me Gabriela as both would be needed

Now that you mention Ashley, I have to say that if I think at all my usual hiking places, the fact that they are crowded or not doesn't seem to make a difference in forming clonal clumps. Even in sparse populations many are solitary. It may be genetic? or stimulated by environmental conditions? I will pay closer attention in the future.

That's reassuring as my trilliums from seed tend to bulk up v-e-r-y slowly, in contrast to the fat clumps shown here on the forum

[Leena]

Nice colors of nobilis Leena, and I notice there are still Crocus in flower? Here they are out long time already.

Thanks Gabriela. That picture was taken a week ago. While it has been several degrees warmer than usually all winter from December until March, April has been colder than usually, and so spring has been very slow. Of course I don't mind it at all. Hepaticas have flowered for almost a month this year! Crocuses are now over, those big white ones are always the latest ones to flower.
This first week of May has been quite warm, but next week it will be again colder than usually.. There are still some Hepaticas flowering, and the first one of H.acutiloba from your seeds has now flowers (it grows in quite shady place). I have many now in pots waiting to be planted in the ground.
They are very beautiful in your pictures, and the shade of flowers seems to be different than our local H.nobilis from what I can see in the first ones flowering here. Their flowers are a bit smaller, but it may be due to them being young plants and first flowering.

[Gabriela]

It seemed entirely plausible to me Gabriela as both would be needed
That's reassuring as my trilliums from seed tend to bulk up v-e-r-y slowly, in contrast to the fat clumps shown here on the forum

True Ashley, only that Hepatica flowers do not have nectar (fortunately or unfortunately, depending how you look at the situation).

Yes, I also wonder at the huge Trillium clumps shown in the pictures. I noticed that some species will clump better than others and then,
 maybe sometimes there were just few seedlings planted together to begin with. I know you could tell at a close inspection but not easy from pictures.
For ex. I have a small clump-looking group of T. grandiflorum but I know very well I've planted 3-4 seedlings close together; someone seeing it might not notice.
Well, just an idea...

[Gabriela]

Thanks Gabriela. That picture was taken a week ago. While it has been several degrees warmer than usually all winter from December until March, April has been colder than usually, and so spring has been very slow. Of course I don't mind it at all. Hepaticas have flowered for almost a month this year! Crocuses are now over, those big white ones are always the latest ones to flower.
This first week of May has been quite warm, but next week it will be again colder than usually.. There are still some Hepaticas flowering, and the first one of H.acutiloba from your seeds has now flowers (it grows in quite shady place). I have many now in pots waiting to be planted in the ground.
They are very beautiful in your pictures, and the shade of flowers seems to be different than our local H.nobilis from what I can see in the first ones flowering here. Their flowers are a bit smaller, but it may be due to them being young plants and first flowering.

You surely had a very good, prolonged spring Leena. First year flowering is not very representative for Hepatica, but always nice to see a first flower
I also can't complain considering the horrible rainy/cold spring of last year. Only that a new wave of cold air will return starting Friday; at this point I worry more about the Epimediums which already have flowering stems! (some were already destroyed a week ago during -6C nights 

[Leena]

Only that a new wave of cold air will return starting Friday; at this point I worry more about the Epimediums which already have flowering stems! (some were already destroyed a week ago during -6C nights 

Yes, it is predicted the same here, nights below freezing next week. My Epimeidums are also now in bud, so for the first time, I will try to protect them somehow. I also worry about Trilliums which are now in flower.

[ashley]

True Ashley, only that Hepatica flowers do not have nectar (fortunately or unfortunately, depending how you look at the situation).

Thanks Gabriela; I didn't know but constantly learn on this forum    
Which in turn leads me to wonder whether bees 'know' this or are nectar-foragers deceived into dispersing pollen?

Yes, I also wonder at the huge Trillium clumps shown in the pictures. I noticed that some species will clump better than others and then, maybe sometimes there were just few seedlings planted together to begin with.

Yes presumably some are multiple plantings given how seedling roots easily become entangled.  It seems likely too that there are species and clonal differences in tendency to clump, as well as environmental factors.  Because the few species & hybrids I have, all seed-grown so presumably genetically variable, bulk up so slowly I wondered whether their growing conditions might be less than ideal.  Against that, they're growing in various places around the garden but behave much the same

[Gabriela]

Yes, it is predicted the same here, nights below freezing next week. My Epimeidums are also now in bud, so for the first time, I will try to protect them somehow. I also worry about Trilliums which are now in flower.

Even if we are here in the Hepatica thread, just to say that you really have to protect the Epimediums Leena; -2C is probably the safety limit. I am talking about the Chinese species and hybrids, with those tender new leaves. I am using few very light fleece, also inverted pots work well (lined with plastic bags). Also the new buds on Deinanthe have been destroyed at -5C.
We shall see about the Trilliums...

[Gabriela]

Thanks Gabriela; I didn't know but constantly learn on this forum    
Which in turn leads me to wonder whether bees 'know' this or are nectar-foragers deceived into dispersing pollen?

As far as I read Ashley, they don't 'know' but rather are trying whatever is available from lack of other food sources. The solitary bees have little else to feed on in very early spring in the woods here, nectar-wise, except some Salix, Acer species, Lonicera canadensis....
I very rarely see them on Hepatica flowers in the garden.

Re: back to Trilliums. Do other people in Ireland have large Trillium clumps?

[WSGR]

Thank you, Herman!

I'm going to treat myself to some prettier ones. I am always too mean and also I dread that they won't grow in dry east London soil. It was a risk well taken.

[kris]

Hepaticas are still flowering
1. Hepatica nobilis rubraplena
2.Hepatica acutiloba

[Gabriela]

Very pretty Kris. Here H. acutiloba is almost done, after quite a long season due to the cold weather.

[kris]

Thanks Gabriela . I have great affinity for the North American Hepaticas. They are very elegant. But for my climate vary rarely they bloom nicely. Last year due to fluctuations of the temperature the flowers were not developed well.

[Gabriela]

Thanks Gabriela . I have great affinity for the North American Hepaticas. They are very elegant. But for my climate vary rarely they bloom nicely. Last year due to fluctuations of the temperature the flowers were not developed well.

My opinion is Kris that rather our garden conditions are to be 'blamed' for not being able to nicely grow various species, than the climate (I am not talking about tropical species of course).
As a concrete example: you have those gorgeous H. transsilvanica clumps in the garden; well, in their native land (with which I am very familiar they grow in a very different climate. I would say zone 6, if you to give a zone, and the winters are not even near as harsh as those in SK. More than this, the snow cover is not reliable.
Of course, clones that were grown in the garden gradually adapted over time to different conditions.