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Cressler, Alan

Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

Hepatica nobilis Schreb. var. acuta (Pursh) Steyerm.

Sharplobe Hepatica, Sharp-lobed Hepatica, Mountain Hepatica

Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)

Synonym(s): Anemone acutiloba, Hepatica acuta, Hepatica acutiloba, Hepatica triloba var. acuta

USDA Symbol: henoa

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

Pink, white or purple blossoms arise in early spring on the fuzzy, 4-8 in. stems of Sharp-lobed Hepatica. The leaves, which grow from ground level on their own hairy stems, appear after the flowers have blossomed. They are three-lobed, pointed and evergreen until the following spring.

Round-lobed Hepatica (H. nobilis var. obtusa) is similar in appearance except the leaves' three lobes are rounded rather than pointed.

From the Image Gallery

34 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Achene
Size Notes: Up to about 8 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Pink , Blue , Purple
Bloom Time: Mar , Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , GA , IA , IL , IN , KY , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NH , NY , OH , PA , SC , TN , VA , VT , WI , WV
Canada: NB , NS , ON , QC
Native Distribution: ME to MN, s. to FL & n. AR (absent from Atlantic coast areas)
Native Habitat: Rich, usually deciduous, woods

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Shade
Soil Moisture: Moist
Soil pH: Circumneutral (pH 6.8-7.2)
Soil Description: Basic, humus-rich soils.
Conditions Comments: Will tolerate somewhat dry conditions but too much sun will damage the leaf edges.

Propagation

Propagation Material: Clump Division , Seeds
Description: Seeds should be planted outside immediately after collection. Seeds are hard to collect, so an alternate propagation method is fall division. Clumps, however, are slow to increase. When dividing a clump, it is best to leave 2-3 buds in each division.
Seed Collection: Approximate collection date in northern U.S.: Mid to late May
Seed Treatment: Seeds require cold treatment for optimum germination. Moist stratify if stored over winter.
Commercially Avail: yes

Find Seed or Plants

View propagation protocol from Native Plants Network.

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE

Bibliography

Bibref 928 - 100 easy-to-grow native plants for Canadian gardens (2005) Johnson, L.; A. Leyerle
Bibref 1620 - Gardening with Native Plants of the South (Reprint Edition) (2009) Wasowski, S. with A. Wasowski
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Hepatica nobilis var. acuta in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Hepatica nobilis var. acuta in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Hepatica nobilis var. acuta

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-02-13
Research By: TWC Staff

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