Hepatica 2021

[Joakim B]

The hepaticas are hardy are they not? At least the ones in our forests survive here. All nobilis. I assume that the American and transylvanica also withstand cold with snow. If there is snow on top I presume they stand cold quite well. Cold and no snow and a bit of wind may dry out the plants. I put some Christmas tree branches on top of my hepaticas, mostly to secure against cats digging but now it is covered in snow so I am quite happy I cut down 25 Christmas trees from the neighbourhood, spreading the branches on the ground as protection against cat and cold. Not all 25trees cover my hepaticas as I have not so many yet. Hopefully the seeds I scatter will change that
Sowing in pots have not yet shown any results. In the summerhouse the ants help but here I secure the seeds.
Hope to see pictures from those of you that grow in greenhouse soon.

Hopefully the japonica that you have planted in the ground will make it to the spring.

Leena do you have nobilis native around where you live or are you to far north?

[Leena]

Leena do you have nobilis native around where you live or are you to far north?

Hi Joakim, there are native H.nobilis here, but just in my region they are not very common. I know only couple of places where they grow naturally. Luckily in our own land there is a small group of them, blue and pink ones, but they were planted there by the previous owner of this property in 1980s. H.nobilis doesn't mind the cold here, not even without snow, but in the wild I have never seen as big clumps as to how big they get in my woodland bed. In the wild they are mostly only couple of flower stems per plant. Deer like to eat Hepaticas so it may be also because of deer Hepaticas are not so big and common in my region. There are a lot of deer!

I don't protect H.nobilis for the winter, but I do H.japonicas, and I put some protection over H.americana and H.acutiloba, just in case, because I'm not sure how hardy they are if there is not enough snow. H.transsylvanica is also hardy here, even without snow, I have never had any frost damage to them (in ten years).

[Gabriela]

Here it is the same, and I keep my fingers crossed that all Hepaticas will survive. I have dry oak leaf protection over them and then there is about 40cm snow over them so I hope that is enough. The lowest here this winter has been -23, but it has been several week now temperatures below -10 (and mostly around -15C), and it seems like it will be the same all February. Beautiful sunny days though.

Snow is good, but I kind of envy winters like Herman's when cold and snow last only a week or two, but of course cold may do more damage when plants are more advanced.

I only worry about the newly planted H. japonica Leena which don't have an established root system and of course all the pots which are above ground.
Our snow cover is much less and the cold will continue toward late February. We usually don't get temp. below -15C for such long periods of time.
But we can only hope for the best

[Leena]

I only worry about the newly planted H. japonica Leena which don't have an established root system and of course all the pots which are above ground.
But we can only hope for the best

Fingers crossed! I have also some Hepatica seedlings planted out only last autumn, mostly they are H.americana and H.acutiloba from your seeds, which I think should do ok, but this has been a cold winter.

[mellifera]

Hepatica nobilis 'Czech Form' full open flower.
Hepatica japonica 'Kouten' and 'Kibani'

[Herman Mylemans]

Hepatica nobilis 'Czech Form' full open flower.
Hepatica japonica 'Kouten' and 'Kibani'

Patrick, it is great to see some Hepatica. Here everything is still frozen and covered with some snow. But weather is changing, Monday last night of frost, after that the day temperature will rise back above 10°C. So we look forward!

[Carsten]

Last night I had -0,5 C in the greenhouse and during daytime some 14 C with lot of sunshine. Some pics from today.
Two Hepatica japonica seedlings
Hepatica japonica 'Touyama shigure'
Hepatica japonica unnamed

[Carsten]

Not yet fully opened but promising.
And tiny seedlings from 2018...

[Gabriela]

Wonderful to see new H. japonica in flower!

I particularly like the 'Kibani' flower style Patrick.

Carsten: it is so exciting to await the bloom of new seedlings They are very beautiful.
I suppose you added the moss in the container?

[Gabriela]

Fingers crossed! I have also some Hepatica seedlings planted out only last autumn, mostly they are H.americana and H.acutiloba from your seeds, which I think should do ok, but this has been a cold winter.

Yes, fingers crossed Leena. Mature plants of americana and acutiloba are very hardy, even in winters with almost no snow cover they are OK. But small plants are not that well rooted.
You have a healthy snow covered though, so I don't think they will be harmed.

[Carsten]

Gabriela, the moss takes over the needle litter after a while. These seedlings were sown in 2018 and not yet picked out. I need to replant them soon.

[Herman Mylemans]

Carsten, very nice seedlings. Why do you use needle litter on top?

[Gunilla]

Not yet fully opened but promising.

Very promising indeed, Carsten. Lovely red and white combination.

Still very cold here -10 C to -14 C every night for several weeks now. I'm worried  .

[Carsten]

Herman, I sow my seeds on top of a mineral mix of Seramis, pumice and Zeolithe and cover the seeds with a layer of shredded and composted needle litter, about 1 cm. I can keep this moist and airy without being too wet. But sometimes it is overgrown by moss.

[Carsten]

Very promising indeed, Carsten. Lovely red and white combination.

Gunilla, only the tiny ones are my seedlings. I bought the other two last spring in Japan.