A few easy Hepaticas and the best ways to enjoy them
|
|
|
|
Glenn Shapiro, holder of the National Plant Collection of Hepatica spp. & cvs. (excl. Hepatica nobilis var. japonica cvs.) |
|
|
|
I have made a choice of nine very different but readily available Hepaticas, which are happy in our North West gardens. |
|
|
|
|
|
Hepatica acutiloba |
|
Hepatica acutiloba come from America and Canada. The name acutiloba refers to the fact that the leaves are more pointed than in the other American species americana (which prefers dryer conditions than we can easily provide). I recommend acutiloba alba, it should have a lot of upward facing flowers and is sometimes scented. The blues and pinks tend to be just either side of lilac in both the American species. |
|
|
|
|
|
Hepatica nobilis (above and below) |
|
Hepatica nobilis AGM is a much loved
wild flower over large areas of Europe (not the UK unfortunately), happy in
deciduous mountain woodlands in the south, and down to sea level in the
north, where it is protected by snow in winter. Hepatica nobilis comes in a wide range of colours from
white and blue through to cerise. To me the blue form is iconic and also the
toughest, it would always be my first choice. |
|
|
|
|
|
A variety
of nobilis ‘Cremar,’
or ex Cremar, will provide all year around
interest. The marbled leaves expand towards the edge and are crenelated, a
bit like curly parsley, and the flowers are usually cerise in colour. |
|
|
|
Hepatica nobilis var. pyrenaica |
|
If you prefer pastel shades Hepatica nobilis var. pyrenaica is an excellent choice. The distinctly marbled foliage remains in good condition until the next year’s flowers bloom prolifically, often as early as January. The colours range from white through apple blossom pink to powder blue. I have a violet blue centred one fading towards the edge of the petals which I am especially fond of. It is one of many I am propagating for our local Plant Heritage plant sales. |
|
|
|
|
|
Hepatica nobilis ‘Rubra Plena’ |
|
Double flowers are always much sought after among Hepaticas, and Hepatica nobilis ‘Rubra Plena’ is fully double and as easy to grow as any of these Hepaticas, and now quite reasonably priced. The colour however is more cerise than red. True red is rarely found except in the most expensive Hepatica japonicas. |
|
|
|
|
|
Hepatica nobilis japonica ‘Orihime’ |
|
One fully
double Hepatica japonica I
can recommend for an outdoor pot or even to plant in the garden is ‘Orihime’. It produces lots of pale pink flowers in spring
and often a few in the autumn, and it has become very reasonably priced
recently. Most of the japonicas are best grown under cover. |
|
|
|
Hepatica x media ‘Blue Jewel’ |
|
In the
late18C Prof. F Hildebrand began crossing Hepatica
noblis with the only other European species,
Hepatica transsilvanica, a cross
which has been repeated over the centuries to give rise to some excellent
cultivars referred to as Hepatica x
media. They have the vigour of transsilvanica and the free
flowering qualities of nobilis and because they are sterile, the
flowers tend to last a long time. I especially recommend two. My first choice
has to be Hepatica x media ‘Blue
Jewel’; with rounded lapis-lazuli petals, it certainly lives up to its name.
A close second choice is Hepatica x
media ‘Blue Eyes’, this is a mid-blue, very free flowering and
vigorous. Hepatica x media ‘Buis’ is indistinguishable, so much so that I wonder if
it is just a more commercial renaming of the former; they both possess the
‘Old Blue Eyes’ magic. |
|
|
|
Hepatica x media ‘Blue Eyes’ (above) and Hepatica x media ‘Buis’ (below) |
|
|
|
Often confused with Hepatica x media ‘Buis’, is Hepatica transsilvanica ‘De Buis’ but the latter is a larger flowering and vigorous strain of the Romanian species, with flowers on the darker side of mid-blue. It is well worth growing. |
|
|
|
Hepatica transsilvanica ‘De Buis’ |
|
In the garden, choose a shaded position in an open free draining soil. A slope under deciduous trees would be very suitable. Remember they stay above ground all winter with the flower buds for next spring already formed. In the wild they would be tucked up under the snow, so here they are very vulnerable. You can cover them with upturned wire hanging baskets to protect them from garden wildlife. A few slug pellets would not go amiss. |
|
I get the most enjoyment from my Hepaticas in pots, especially the ones outside my office window which faces North West. They would be very happy on a patio, they enjoy the sun in the early spring when they first start flowering. You may need to remove some of the old leaves to see the flowers better. The new leaves follow towards the end of flowering and the pot will then need moving into the shade. Keep them quite damp while they are flowering and producing leaves but less so in late summer, and if they are under cover in the winter only water them very occasionally and choose a mild spell. If they have to stay outside in a pot, move them into a dry spot behind a wall, or under the house eaves. Don’t use a glass bell because they need fresh air around them. All the plants I have recommended can be bought on line, some from www.ashwood-nurseries.co.uk and the rest from www.edromnurseries.co.uk |
|
If I have
whetted your appetite please come along to a ‘Hepatica Day’ on Sunday 20 March 2016. From 9.30, view my
National Collection of Hepatica (most
of them should be in flower) and see the spring garden, with refreshments
provided. The event continues at the Gaskell Hall Silverdale where
Ashwood Nurseries will have a Hepatica sales stand, providing a unique
opportunity to view and obtain their plants in the North. A light lunch is
provided, and Ashwood Nurseries owner John
Massey VMH will give a superbly illustrated lecture, ‘The World of Hepaticas’. Admission by ticket only, on sale from 1 October 2015. Apply to
Anne Porter, peasland18@btinternet.com Plant
Heritage Members £21, others £25, including all refreshments |
|
Hepatica Day |
|
on 20/032016 from 9.30 am. |
|
Hazelwood Farm |
|
Hollins Lane |
|
Silverdale |
|
Carnforth |
|
LA5 0UB |
|
Tel 01524 701276 |
