Hepatica 2021

[Gunilla]

Gabriela, your pink multipetal is lovely. Like Carsten, I have never seen one in the wild. Actually not any cultivated either.

[Carsten]

Today it has been windy but rather mild, so some Hepaticas opend their flowers.
Hepatica nobilis 'Topaz Star' bud and fully opened
Hepatica nobilis bicoloured form
Hepatica nobilis 'Bavarian Blue' seedlings

[Herman Mylemans]

Today it has been windy but rather mild, so some Hepaticas opend their flowers.
Hepatica nobilis 'Topaz Star' bud and fully opened
Hepatica nobilis bicoloured form
Hepatica nobilis 'Bavarian Blue' seedlings

Carsten, once again beautiful plants! Topaz Star is really a star!

[Gabriela]

Gabriela, your pink multipetal is lovely. Like Carsten, I have never seen one in the wild. Actually not any cultivated either.

Thank you Gunilla. It is interesting to hear about this. Although I lived part of my life in Eastern Europe, in my region the 'queen of the woods' was H. transsilvanica. I really don't remember about H. nobilis and I wouldn't take pictures at the time.

[Gabriela]

Today it has been windy but rather mild, so some Hepaticas opend their flowers.
Hepatica nobilis 'Topaz Star' bud and fully opened
Hepatica nobilis bicoloured form
Hepatica nobilis 'Bavarian Blue' seedlings

You manage such perfect pictures with the 'Topaz Star' Carsten!

[kris]

Today it has been windy but rather mild, so some Hepaticas opend their flowers.
Hepatica nobilis 'Topaz Star' bud and fully opened
Hepatica nobilis bicoloured form
Hepatica nobilis 'Bavarian Blue' seedlings

All of them beautiful. I love particularly the  "Bavarian blue". Carsten  I transplanted your
" Bavarian blue "seedling last year into the regular bed. I hope it is alive under the snow.

[Leena]

'Topaz Star' is fabulous! I already admired it in February when you posted a picture of it, but this picture is so perfect:).
I like also bicoloured and 'Bavarian Blue', and hope to see mine flowering in next month. They are still under snow, which is good because this week the coldest night was -15C.
There is so much variation in H.nobilis in Europe.

[Peppa]

More Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed Hepatica) seedlings have started to bloom. It is interesting to see the differences in the stamens between the two flowers. The bottom flower has more typical stamens.

[Gunilla]

'Topaz Star' is fabulous!

Carsten, I agree with Leena. 'Topaz Star' is very special. Beautiful colour and shape.

[Gunilla]

More Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed Hepatica) seedlings have started to bloom. It is interesting to see the differences in the stamens between the two flowers. The bottom flower has more typical stamens.

Thanks for showing us. The first one has stamens like an explosion  . I like it.

[Carsten]

More Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed Hepatica) seedlings have started to bloom. It is interesting to see the differences in the stamens between the two flowers. The bottom flower has more typical stamens.

Very nice forms! I like the pastel tints of acutiloba and the upright habit of the flowers.

[Peppa]

Carsten, I agree with Leena. 'Topaz Star' is very special. Beautiful colour and shape.

I agree, too! It's not only a beautiful color and shape, but the green stems make the flower stand out as well. Darker colored flower with green stems are rare in H. nobilis. Love it!

[Herman Mylemans]

More Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed Hepatica) seedlings have started to bloom. It is interesting to see the differences in the stamens between the two flowers. The bottom flower has more typical stamens.

Peppa, very beautiful acutiloba. Here there is not so much variation in the colours. Hopefully you get a lot of seed of them.

[Herman Mylemans]

In November 2020 there was a discussion about Hepatica ‘Millstream Merlin’ or Hepatica x media ‘Millstream Merlin’.
Now I have found this article http://www.hazelwoodfarm.co.uk/HelpingHepaticas.pdf

Recent DNA research on the American species now shows them not to be related to H. nobilis, so it may now seem appropriate to drop the ‘× media’ designation. Indeed as H. acutiloba has a tendency to produce maiden flowers, it may well be that the parentage of H. ‘Millstream Merlin’ is H. acutiloba × H. transsilvanica. A maiden form of Hepatica acutiloba has been exhibited by Diane Clement at some of the AGS shows, and the resemblance between her plant’s flowers and those of ‘Millstream Merlin’ is very striking, so it could be the seed parent.
No one can doubt the H. transsilvanica pollen parentage regarding the foliage. Whatever the parentage, ‘Millstream Merlin’ received an A.M. when exhibited in 1989 by the late Kath Dryden.

[Carsten]

In November 2020 there was a discussion about Hepatica ‘Millstream Merlin’ or Hepatica x media ‘Millstream Merlin’.
Now I have found this article http://www.hazelwoodfarm.co.uk/HelpingHepaticas.pdf

Recent DNA research on the American species now shows them not to be related to H. nobilis, so it may now seem appropriate to drop the ‘× media’ designation. Indeed as H. acutiloba has a tendency to produce maiden flowers, it may well be that the parentage of H. ‘Millstream Merlin’ is H. acutiloba × H. transsilvanica. A maiden form of Hepatica acutiloba has been exhibited by Diane Clement at some of the AGS shows, and the resemblance between her plant’s flowers and those of ‘Millstream Merlin’ is very striking, so it could be the seed parent.
No one can doubt the H. transsilvanica pollen parentage regarding the foliage. Whatever the parentage, ‘Millstream Merlin’ received an A.M. when exhibited in 1989 by the late Kath Dryden.

Interesting article, Herman!  I thought it was quite obvious that this is a cross of acutiloba (nobilis var. acuta) x transsilvanica. The leaf veins of the plant remind me very much of acutiloba. 'Millstream Merlin' is really outstanding.