Hepatica 2020

[Gabriela]

Thank you Herman. I have seen many flower pictures of this stunning cultivar but not so much with the foliage.

What I once read, and don't remember where, is that this cultivar was a chance plant which appeared in the garden of L. Foster. This is the reason why everyone can only guess about its parentage and write it according with their beliefs. Jurgen Peters also assign it in his book to H. transsilvanica x acutiloba.

So, I don't think there is a 'correct' name for it, unless someone can prove the parentage. I didn't have the chance to see many hybrids of both crosses in real and thus cannot really give an informed opinion about it.
It seems there can be great variation, foliage wise, for both crosses variants, same like it happens with H. acutiloba if one looks well over a large range in wild populations.
The only certain thing is about H. transsilvanica involvement.

[Leena]

It is that time of year when Hepaticas are starting to draw attention again from the woodland floor. This year I notice that most H. americana show marbled foliage.

Very nice wild plant. Here deer eat Hepatica leaves so much that it is difficult to find them in the wild this time of year:(.
Lucky that I have now fence mostly around the garden so they won't be eaten in my garden any more.

Herman and Gabriela, thank you for the discussion about 'Millstream Merlin'. I have loved it in pictures and it just happens that I bought it couple of weeks ago, and it is coming tomorrow in mail:).

[Maggi Young]

A photo of  a  lovely  pot  of  Hepatica  'Millstream Merlin' shown by  Jane  and Alan Thompson at the  Edingburgh Show  in 2016 - it  won a  Certificate  of  Merit.

[Jon Evans]

This shows the leaves well.  H. Millstream Merlin shown by Robin White at the Exeter Show in 2008.

[Gabriela]

Beautiful pictures of a great plant! thanks Maggi and Jon.

[Gabriela]

Very nice wild plant. Here deer eat Hepatica leaves so much that it is difficult to find them in the wild this time of year:(.
Lucky that I have now fence mostly around the garden so they won't be eaten in my garden any more.

Herman and Gabriela, thank you for the discussion about 'Millstream Merlin'. I have loved it in pictures and it just happens that I bought it couple of weeks ago, and it is coming tomorrow in mail:).

I am green with envy, or better said blue Leena kidding, I hope it will grow well in your garden.

I think I mentioned the rabbits eat quite a few of mine this spring Leena I'll have to be careful next spring. It is very good you put up a fence.

[Herman Mylemans]

Maggi and Jon, indeed beautiful pictures. It is always a pleasure to see big plants. In the garden it takes some time to see such plants.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Very interesting discussion on a superb plant.
I got mine some 15 years ago from Robin White at the Kent Show (those were the days !!  )    Still going strong and it's had many babies since.

[Herman Mylemans]

Very interesting discussion on a superb plant.
I got mine some 15 years ago from Robin White at the Kent Show (those were the days !!  )    Still going strong and it's had many babies since.

Luc, very impressive!

[Gabriela]

Very interesting discussion on a superb plant.
I got mine some 15 years ago from Robin White at the Kent Show (those were the days !!  )    Still going strong and it's had many babies since.

Your plant is beautiful Luc! It pays to have H. transsilvanica in the parentage, propagation wise.
The fact that this cultivar is not available here, despite the US origin, shows very well how very little interest Canadians have in Hepatica 

[Diane Whitehead]

I checked in the two books by Linc Foster that I own, to see what he had to say about Millstream Merlin, but he didn't write about it at all.  Instead, he was excited by a pink one:

"It has taken ten years to build up a stock and introduce into the gardens of friends H. acutiloba 'Millstream Pink'.  This is a vigorous plant with large blossoms of vivid deep pink, an outstanding individual in any collection. Distributed now into many gardens, this solitary plant, found after long search amidst hosts of plants in many sites, will perhaps persist in cultivation. It might have been destroyed in the wild!"

I wonder if that one has persisted.

[Herman Mylemans]

I checked in the two books by Linc Foster that I own, to see what he had to say about Millstream Merlin, but he didn't write about it at all.  Instead, he was excited by a pink one:

"It has taken ten years to build up a stock and introduce into the gardens of friends H. acutiloba 'Millstream Pink'.  This is a vigorous plant with large blossoms of vivid deep pink, an outstanding individual in any collection. Distributed now into many gardens, this solitary plant, found after long search amidst hosts of plants in many sites, will perhaps persist in cultivation. It might have been destroyed in the wild!"

I wonder if that one has persisted.

Diana, I also hope that Hepatica acutiloba 'Millstream Pink' still exist. There is also the possibility that it stands in someone's garden but that the name is forgotten.

[Leena]

It has been a mild autumn this year, and some Hepaticas have already very big buds above ground. The most advanced are H.japonica and H.x schlyteri and to some extent also H.pubescens. H.nobilis doesn't show buds yet.
Many times we can have cold temperatures without snowcover in the beginning of winter, it is often -10C and it can be even -20C.
Last winter was very mild, -13C was the lowest (with practically now snow) and there were no damage then, but I don't remember if buds were this advanced then.
What would you advise be to protect these buds of H.japonica? Can I put more soil around them or is that bad? I have dry oak leaves which I always spread on top of my most precious plants just before the frosts come, but is that enough?

[Herman Mylemans]

It has been a mild autumn this year, and some Hepaticas have already very big buds above ground. The most advanced are H.japonica and H.x schlyteri and to some extent also H.pubescens. H.nobilis doesn't show buds yet.
Many times we can have cold temperatures without snowcover in the beginning of winter, it is often -10C and it can be even -20C.
Last winter was very mild, -13C was the lowest (with practically now snow) and there were no damage then, but I don't remember if buds were this advanced then.
What would you advise be to protect these buds of H.japonica? Can I put more soil around them or is that bad? I have dry oak leaves which I always spread on top of my most precious plants just before the frosts come, but is that enough?

Here the Hepatica's are also showing some life. Leena, I don't have japonica in the garden, after a few years they are always disappeared. Shredded leaves give a good protection and if this is not enough you can use a piece of bubble wrap above the leaves.

[Gabriela]

It has been a mild autumn this year, and some Hepaticas have already very big buds above ground. The most advanced are H.japonica and H.x schlyteri and to some extent also H.pubescens. H.nobilis doesn't show buds yet.
Many times we can have cold temperatures without snowcover in the beginning of winter, it is often -10C and it can be even -20C.
Last winter was very mild, -13C was the lowest (with practically now snow) and there were no damage then, but I don't remember if buds were this advanced then.
What would you advise be to protect these buds of H.japonica? Can I put more soil around them or is that bad? I have dry oak leaves which I always spread on top of my most precious plants just before the frosts come, but is that enough?

Those buds are looking very promising Leena! I suspect is because H. japonica has its genetic clock set to flower much earlier than other species. I also noted very large buds on my biggest H. japonica (in pots); in the ground I planted only smaller size plants (fingers crossed). Also, H. nobilis var. pyrenaica seems very advanced.

Like Herman says, a layer of shredded leaves will help. If it gets super cold with no snow you can also try to place on top of the plants pots padded inside with pieces of thermal blankets (bubble too but I prefer non-plastic materials).
I used this method in early spring when all peonies buds were very advanced and a cold snap arrived (also a stone on top to keep the pots from flying with the wind).