Enjoy a shimmer of dainty blue
Hepaticas aren’t fond of winter wet – preferring a bit of sunshine, shelter and a well-drained soil. Val Bourne suggests the easiest ones to plump for
Hepaticas aren’t fond of winter wet – here are some easy ones to grow
Hepaticas are early-flowering woodlanders. They’re found naturally in almost-alpine situations in northern, temperate regions across Europe, Asia, North America and Canada. Consequently they must have good drainage and are happiest growing in the lea of deciduous shrubs, or on sloping ground that sheds water. Although they’re close relatives of the wood anemone, their upward-facing flowers are rather like a miniature clematis in colour and form. The bright blue, strong pink and clear white flowers look delightful in early spring.
The most common European species is Hepatica nobilis. It’s not native but has been grown in British gardens since 1764 and perhaps even earlier. The three-lobed leaves are said to resemble the liver in outline and the 17th-century Doctrine of Signatures, used by herbalists intent on finding cures, dictated that this plant cured liver disease. Also known as liverwort, H. nobilis was widely planted in physic and monastery gardens. The name hepatica comes from the Greek ‘hepara’ for liver. However, not all forms of H. nobilis can grow outdoors in the UK. Those with japonica in their Latin names need extremely good drainage and overhead cover so won’t survive our wet winters. Specialist growers sell some wonderful Japanese forms for alpine houses or cool greenhouses, but they tend to be expensive. Fortunately, our other European species, H. transsilvanica, doesn’t mind the cold and wet as much. In the wild it’s
found on steep, shady banks in the mountainous woods of Transylvania in central Romania and on the Carpathian Mountains. The flowers and leaves are larger than H. nobilis
One of the best blue forms was discovered growing under an apple tree
and it’s more vigorous, so one clump can have several flowers. I remove the shabby leaves in late autumn, before the plump green flower buds emerge.
Blue forms of H. transsilvanica stand out really well in the garden and there’s a good double named ‘Elison Spence’ that was found as a sport (an unusual shoot) in Mrs Elison Spence’s Northern Ireland garden. Hepatica nobilis and H. transsilvanica sometimes produce vigorous hybrids in the wild. Called H. x media, these are freer flowering, with rounder foliage. One of the best blue forms, ‘Harvington Beauty’, was discovered by Hugh Nunn (of Harvington Hellebore fame) growing under an apple tree in a neighbour’s garden. I treasure this mid-blue hepatica, and grow it close to my black hybrid hellebores, for contrast. The bluest form is ‘Millstream Merlin’ with gentian-blue single flowers on long stems. Raised by the late American rock garden enthusiast H Lincoln Foster, who gardened at Falls Village, Connecticut, it was exhibited in London by the late Kath Dryden in 1989 and caused quite a stir. It’s still pricey and not as easy as ‘Harvington Beauty’ for me. ✿