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| Photo Credit: © Pennystone Gardens |
| Hepatica is a very early spring bloomer – among the first and most welcome of the season! |
Just about the time of year when you’re really desperate to see a flower, and weeks before the garden erupts into springtime splendor, there’s sturdy little Hepatica nobilis – commonly known as leatherleaf or hepatica.
It’s such a fragile-looking, tiny thing (just 3-4 inches tall), that your first thought might be that the plant’s bloomed early by some mistake and you should shelter it from the raw March winds that buffet the delicate blossoms. But make no mistake about it: Hepatica is a survivor, capable of enduring cruel winters and harsh summers, and content in dry, rocky woods with just a small patch of ground. The little wildflower launches sinewy stems that flex easily in early spring gales, and it’s one of the earliest to bask in the bright sunshine – before leaves even break bud. | Add Photo to Journal |  | | Photo Credit: © Pennystone Gardens | | With the right soil acidity, Hepatica nobilis can take on a nearly neon glow in early spring. |
After the blossoms fade, the plant’s leathery leaves (which give the plant its “leatherleaf” common name) brighten up, and new furry leaves sprout. They’ll form a little blanket to nurture the plant in the dappled light of a deciduous forest throughout summer, but then pull back to a bedraggled-looking state for winter.
In your yard, you’ll want to grow this refreshing springtime beauty in a humus-rich soil that’s slightly acidic. If you go with different varieties, H. nobilis var. obtusa likes a pH range of 4.5-6, while var. acuta is happier in soils closer to neutral. Some say this difference in soil preferences means you’re not likely to find these two varieties as neighbors (and that you’re not likely to find var. acuta in Atlantic coastal regions). Others insist that if you achieve a soil pH of 6, you can build blended colonies of the two – and with good fortune, you can launch colonies large enough to light up the early season forest floor (or heavily treed area in your back yard).
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