Anemone acutiloba (DC.) Laws, Sharped-lobed Hepatica (Flora of N. America)
April begins here with a joke, weather wise – we are expecting snow (2016)! Thus, it is a good moment to gather and publish my notes on Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp-lobed hepatica) before it gets busy.The seeds are also starting to germinate, so it cannot be too long till flowering begins.
Funny, today on April 6, 2018 when I’m working revising this, it snowed :)
Hepatica acutiloba is easily distinguished from the only other N American species, H. americana, by having the leaf lobes acute or acuminate, with the middle lobe 70-90% of total blade length; involucral bracts +/- acute (FNA). Sometimes when the lobes are acute it’s a bit more difficult to distinguish it; when in doubt, see the footnote about how to measure the leaves (1).
It is usually found in deciduous beech-maple, oaks forests, on rich soils; spmetimes also in mixed deciduous – coniferous forests. In comparison to H. americana, it is usually found in locations that tend to be slightly wet, at least temporarily. Therefore for cultivation it is a better choice if someone really wants to grow a Hepatica in a moist location. This may be the reason why in the wild it is not often to find the 2 species growing together, at least not nearby.
The new foliage can be reddish-bronze when emerging, but not always; villous in various degrees (with long, soft hairs). I would grow this species even if just for the foliage, which besides the flowers, constitutes its most notable ornamental quality.
About fragrance
I read about this for the first time in the excellent article published in AGS Journal (vol. 83 No.3) by Michael Meyers; he writes “some plants have a strong fragrance”. After sniffing every H. acutiloba I encountered in the last years, I can say is true that some forms of H. acutiloba are fragrant; some more than others, some not at all.
A while ago there were 5 recognized forms for H. acutiloba (2). From a taxonomic point of view they are obsolete nowadays, but I think from an ornamental point of view they are important and could be used in breeding since the progeny resulted from seed propagation is uniform. Therefore, the seeds will be offered marked as such.
Flora of NA states that the regular form of Hepatica acutiloba is blue flowered (H. acutiloba fo. acutiloba).
Hepatica acutiloba blue flowers
However, it seems though that at least in Southwestern Ontario, the white flowered form and slightly pink are predominant for H. acutiloba.
Hepatica acutiloba fo. albiflora Ralph Hoffm. – the leaves can be variable and the flowers white; it is usually quite vigorous in habit. Notice in the gallery second image how large the involucral bracts are – they seem to be green ‘flowers’.
The picture with fruits belongs to the form offered as: H. acutiloba – white/ fragrant, being the most fragrant form from all; the flowers actually have a sheer pink overlay when newly opened.
Hepatica acutiloba – white/fragrant
Hepatica acutiloba fo. rosea Ralph Hoffm.– has pink flowers in various shades, and the leaves can exhibit very nice veined markings.
I don’t know if specimens with pink blushed flowers should be included in fo. rosea but I like them very much. Some are light-pink, others have white flowers with just a dab of pink mixed in. Probably an acquired taste…
Hepatica acutiloba fo. diversiloba Raymond – has leaves with 5-7 lobes instead of the usual 3, hence the name. The character is not always consistent and often on the same plant both 3-lobed and 5-7-lobed leaves are present. Young seedlings may not display the character for the first 1-2 years.
I only encountered this form with white or slightly pink flowers. The leaves can also develop beautiful veined markings. In the first image of a cultivated plant, the foliage is interestingly marbled instead of having marked veins.
One nice clump was found with blue flowers, but it seems to be an intermediate form (hybrid?) in fact. The leaves are in that borderline area between acutiloba/americana (read more about intermediate forms). Also, some of the flowers seem to be sterile.
The last form is Hepatica acutiloba fo. plena Fernald; I know it is somewhere out there in the woods, quietly waiting to be found…I have seen reports of double flowers from the Ottawa area and also from a locality in US.
About the intermediate forms between H. americana and H. acutiloba
It is not very often that they are found growing together, but when they are, things became complicated; better said wonderfully complicated.
Quote from Flora of Michigan: “When the two hepaticas do grow together, intermediate leaf shapes are only rarely found, although what they mean has not been fully investigated”.
I only agree with the last part; it hasn’t been investigated and hybrids are not recognized at the moment. As for the statement “intermediate leaf shapes are only rarely found” – well, anyone spending more time in the woods would disagree with it.
I will include here the form offered last year as Hepatica acutiloba – lavender. The leaves are borderline between acutiloba/americana; however, they tend more towards the first one so it is offered as such.
Hepatica acutiloba- lavender
(1) For the ID of H. acutiloba using measurements of the leaves follow this guideline: “Proportions given in the key for the middle lobe of the leaf are calculated by measuring the lobe (from the apex to a line connecting the bases of the sinuses on each side) and the total length of the blade (apex to the summit of the unexpanded petiole). In the case of ambiguous measurements, check more than one leaf on a plant” – Flora of Michigan.
(2) Tropicos – see references for the publications of the H. acutiloba forms.
Typical leaves of Hepatica acutiloba
The year of the thistle – update
Gardens, PropagationAt the beginning the year I declared 2016 as The Year of the Thistle, including in this category besides the ‘true thistles’ (Cirsium, Carduus and Onopordum), other genera that don’t have spiny leaves/or are commonly called thistles (Jurinea, Centaurea, Carthamus, Carlina, Rhaponticum, Echinops…).
I wasn’t joking. Some of the new tried out species are doing fine and are already planted out – Berkheya, Jurinea sordida, Carlina acaulis. Probably Centaurea triumfettii would have also flowered if not transplanted too late.
But, another one, a true thistle is flowering! Cirsium canum, in its second year from seeds, proves out to be a most wonderful plant. Everything, from the silvery, bold foliage to the neat, globular flower buds and the soft flower heads continuously foraged by some pollinator – it’s just perfect!
Cirsium canum – An architectural thistle with silver-green foliage and purple flowers from late summer to fall; it will remain in a clump and therefore it can be safely grown in the garden for the delight of the pollinators :)
I wish I had more seedlings! A full sun position suits it very well. In the wild habitat it grows in somehow moist meadows and I think it would like a bit more moisture than it has, but it has fared well so far with very little watering.
Cirsium canum flower head
There are so many more such species to try…
Centaurea triumfettii ssp. stricta
Carlina acaulis
Jurinea sordida
American lotus
Propagation, Wildflowers of North AmericaNelumbo lutea
A bit of a surprise – there is a lotus that grows wild in Ontario! It is found only towards the extreme southern part of the province, and according to wiki it was introduced in various regions by the Native Americans who carried it along with them as a food source (the tuber). It is fully hardy to zone 5, as long as the water is deep enough and the roots won’t freeze.
Nelumbo lutea foliage; yellow flowers in late summer
In warmer regions it is quite a colonizer and also called water-chinquapin. Supposedly, it is the largest native wildflower, at least in wetlands, its leaves reaching more than 60 cm in diameter! The seeds are surely among the largest too!
Nelumbo lutea seeds – 1 mm grid
I cannot abstain from trying to germinate a couple of these seeds. They need to be scarified or nicked and should germinate in water after +/- 2 weeks. For scarification you can use sandpaper or, for large seeds like these, a file. When scarifying the question is always – how much of the seed coat should be removed? It varies from species to species but the general rule is: ‘less is more’. When done well, the seeds will slightly enlarge in a few days; if not, they can be easily scarified some more.
I am sure everyone knows that lotus seeds can remain viable for several decades, given their extremely hard seed coats, so most probably I didn’t file them enough. My short nails, have gotten even shorter.
UPDATE – July 20, the seedlings were planted :)
Catch me if you can!
Wildflowers of North AmericaIt is well known that over millions of years plants have evolved and adapted their seeds dispersal strategies to ensure that their progeny reaches new places where hopefully they will be able to germinate, thrive, and continue the cycle of life.
Yet, every time I witness their ingenious ways of doing so, I wonder and cannot help but express my admiration: explosive capsules, seeds with ‘wings’ and other flying ‘apparatuses’, floating devices, ‘bait’ for ants, rewards for animals, and so on…
A couple of days ago, I captured by chance a Stylophorum diphyllum capsule already opened, with the seeds rolling down:
Stylophorum diphyllum – split capsule
Distracted by the Arisaemas showing up, I almost missed the Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossom’! It’s not enough that the follicles are opening without warning, they also do it gradually.
Helleborus ‘Cherry Blossom’
Then, in the woods I managed to collect a few Thalictrum thalictroides seeds (formerly Anemonella); they are still green when ripe, but only a small touch and in an instant the achene cluster will disintegrate between your fingers.
Thalictrum thalictroides cluster of ‘seeds’
There are many other notorious ‘seed defectors’ like: Corydalis, Epimedium, Anemone quinquefolia, Hepatica, Spigelia, Viola spp.…to name just a few.
Catch them if you can :)
Hot Corydalis
Propagation, Wildflowers of North AmericaIt was hot today (felt like 38C!) and I noticed the delicate Rock harlequin (Capnoides sempervirens) flowering. I must say, the colours are just perfect to describe such a fiery day!
Capnoides sempervirens
It was sown successively from late winter to spring and older seedlings are the first to start flowering now; a few are still growing up. The key to success with this biennial Corydalis (and also some of the perennials) is to plant it in different spots of the garden and, fingers crossed it will reseed and take care of itself afterwards.
If someone noticed, I call it first Corydalis and then I wrote it as Capnoides. Corydalis spp. used to bear the same name. And then, as it happens, few names have changed. I always hesitate: should I write the older name or the ‘new’ one. Many people will always call them Corydalis (and so do I, privately ;)
To resolve the situation, I made a new category for the seeds shop – Corydalis & all, where they can live happily together…
A perfect – woodland – day
Wildflowers of North AmericaIf I leave aside the heat, the endless road constructions/detours and the million mosquitos hungrily awaiting into the woods, yesterday was quite a perfect day. The first seeds of the season were collected and a new, nice Trientalis borealis population has been found.
Really perfect; only that I had to keep reciting Issa’s haiku.
The bright Northern Starflowers (Trientalis), delicate Mitella, the elegant, stylish Medeola, columbines, bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), showy orchids….
Trientalis borealis
Medeola virginiana flower
Geranium maculatum
Mitella diphylla
Mitella diphylla2
Aquilegia canadensis
Cornus canadensis
Cypripedium parvifolium
Thalictrum thalictroides
What good luck!
In charge – Corydalis nobilis
Gardens, Plant portraits, PropagationIn preparation of going away for a little while, I looked around today to see who would remain in charge of the garden and the seedlings…The first ones asked found excuses of being busy flowering, setting seeds, or putting up new growth.
So, I had to appoint by force the lord of the garden – Corydalis nobilis. You will hardly find a more reliable, resilient and fair garden fellow. From its corner location it can easily survey the whole garden, including the youngster Cory (from seed) which is flowering for the first time.
Corydalis nobilis
I read somewhere (most probably in an AGS Journal) about an old, neglected garden where C. nobilis had taken hold of and it was growing everywhere like a weed. It can maybe happen in time in my own; say 30 years from now on…Sounds like a good plan.
And a few May pictures: new and older plants establishing together, Aquilegia canadensis- short form in the sun-rockery (in the making), and… lots of seedlings :) On to the seed adventures at full steam!
Iris ‘Concertina’
Paris quadrifolia
Stylophorum diphyllum
Dicentra ‘King of Hearts’
Aquilegia canadensis – short form
Seedlings
Wildlife Wednesday – Ode to the bumblebee
Gardens, Plant portraitsFinally some warm weather (then cold again…warm). However, spring is here and in the past couple of weeks Corydalis and Dicentra cucullaria, some of the first here, have not only flowered but started to set seeds! Watching the Corydalis solida and Dicentra cucullaria flowering and the bumblebee hungrily foraging them, I realized that I was awaiting its apparition as much as that of the first spring flowers.
I won’t get into details on the bumblebees since I am sure they are well known; this is for sure the mother queen which is busy building the future colony. Of course, Corydalis grown from seeds will always come in various colours :)
Note: The wiki stub on Bumblebees is excellent if someone needs an extra read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumblebee.
And a few more images, since last month I had a very short post on Robbie, which seems to get into a territorial dispute with the cardinals lately.
A lady bug sleeping(?) on Narcissus flower
Few other images taken in the wild recently: a solitary bee on Cardamine, woodland hawks (maybe Cooper’s Hawks) and an unknown insect (for now) on the spring beauty flower (Claytonia caroliniana).
Cardamine
Claytonia caroliniana
Woodland hawks
Yes, spring beauties are all around!
I hope everyone enjoys them, their garden and the outdoors, and will join in the wildlife celebrations hosted by Tina at My gardener says.
Notes on Hepatica acutiloba
Plant portraits, Wildflowers of North AmericaAnemone acutiloba (DC.) Laws, Sharped-lobed Hepatica (Flora of N. America)
April begins here with a joke, weather wise – we are expecting snow (2016)! Thus, it is a good moment to gather and publish my notes on Hepatica acutiloba (Sharp-lobed hepatica) before it gets busy.The seeds are also starting to germinate, so it cannot be too long till flowering begins.
Funny, today on April 6, 2018 when I’m working revising this, it snowed :)
Hepatica acutiloba is easily distinguished from the only other N American species, H. americana, by having the leaf lobes acute or acuminate, with the middle lobe 70-90% of total blade length; involucral bracts +/- acute (FNA). Sometimes when the lobes are acute it’s a bit more difficult to distinguish it; when in doubt, see the footnote about how to measure the leaves (1).
It is usually found in deciduous beech-maple, oaks forests, on rich soils; spmetimes also in mixed deciduous – coniferous forests. In comparison to H. americana, it is usually found in locations that tend to be slightly wet, at least temporarily. Therefore for cultivation it is a better choice if someone really wants to grow a Hepatica in a moist location. This may be the reason why in the wild it is not often to find the 2 species growing together, at least not nearby.
The new foliage can be reddish-bronze when emerging, but not always; villous in various degrees (with long, soft hairs). I would grow this species even if just for the foliage, which besides the flowers, constitutes its most notable ornamental quality.
About fragrance
I read about this for the first time in the excellent article published in AGS Journal (vol. 83 No.3) by Michael Meyers; he writes “some plants have a strong fragrance”. After sniffing every H. acutiloba I encountered in the last years, I can say is true that some forms of H. acutiloba are fragrant; some more than others, some not at all.
A while ago there were 5 recognized forms for H. acutiloba (2). From a taxonomic point of view they are obsolete nowadays, but I think from an ornamental point of view they are important and could be used in breeding since the progeny resulted from seed propagation is uniform. Therefore, the seeds will be offered marked as such.
Flora of NA states that the regular form of Hepatica acutiloba is blue flowered (H. acutiloba fo. acutiloba).
Hepatica acutiloba blue flowers
However, it seems though that at least in Southwestern Ontario, the white flowered form and slightly pink are predominant for H. acutiloba.
Hepatica acutiloba fo. albiflora Ralph Hoffm. – the leaves can be variable and the flowers white; it is usually quite vigorous in habit. Notice in the gallery second image how large the involucral bracts are – they seem to be green ‘flowers’.
The picture with fruits belongs to the form offered as: H. acutiloba – white/ fragrant, being the most fragrant form from all; the flowers actually have a sheer pink overlay when newly opened.
Hepatica acutiloba – white/fragrant
Hepatica acutiloba fo. albiflora
Hepatica acutiloba fo. albiflora with seeds forming
Hepatica acutiloba fo. rosea Ralph Hoffm.– has pink flowers in various shades, and the leaves can exhibit very nice veined markings.
Hepatica acutiloba fo. rosea
Hepatica acutiloba fo. rosea – foliage
I don’t know if specimens with pink blushed flowers should be included in fo. rosea but I like them very much. Some are light-pink, others have white flowers with just a dab of pink mixed in. Probably an acquired taste…
Hepatica acutiloba pink blushed
Hepatica acutiloba pink blushed
Hepatica acutiloba fo. diversiloba Raymond – has leaves with 5-7 lobes instead of the usual 3, hence the name. The character is not always consistent and often on the same plant both 3-lobed and 5-7-lobed leaves are present. Young seedlings may not display the character for the first 1-2 years.
I only encountered this form with white or slightly pink flowers. The leaves can also develop beautiful veined markings. In the first image of a cultivated plant, the foliage is interestingly marbled instead of having marked veins.
Hepatica acutiloba fo. diversiloba
Hepatica acutiloba fo. diversiloba
One nice clump was found with blue flowers, but it seems to be an intermediate form (hybrid?) in fact. The leaves are in that borderline area between acutiloba/americana (read more about intermediate forms). Also, some of the flowers seem to be sterile.
The last form is Hepatica acutiloba fo. plena Fernald; I know it is somewhere out there in the woods, quietly waiting to be found…I have seen reports of double flowers from the Ottawa area and also from a locality in US.
About the intermediate forms between H. americana and H. acutiloba
It is not very often that they are found growing together, but when they are, things became complicated; better said wonderfully complicated.
Quote from Flora of Michigan: “When the two hepaticas do grow together, intermediate leaf shapes are only rarely found, although what they mean has not been fully investigated”.
I only agree with the last part; it hasn’t been investigated and hybrids are not recognized at the moment. As for the statement “intermediate leaf shapes are only rarely found” – well, anyone spending more time in the woods would disagree with it.
I will include here the form offered last year as Hepatica acutiloba – lavender. The leaves are borderline between acutiloba/americana; however, they tend more towards the first one so it is offered as such.
Hepatica acutiloba- lavender
(1) For the ID of H. acutiloba using measurements of the leaves follow this guideline: “Proportions given in the key for the middle lobe of the leaf are calculated by measuring the lobe (from the apex to a line connecting the bases of the sinuses on each side) and the total length of the blade (apex to the summit of the unexpanded petiole). In the case of ambiguous measurements, check more than one leaf on a plant” – Flora of Michigan.
(2) Tropicos – see references for the publications of the H. acutiloba forms.
Typical leaves of Hepatica acutiloba
Belle of the ball – Calycanthus
Plant portraits, Propagation, Wildflowers of North AmericaI am known to be on the lookout for promising ballerinas (see Arisaema and Primula –rina)… This year my eyes were drawn by the Carolina allspice seedlings. Surely there is great promise; I just don’t know if in the ballet because after the first stage the twirled cotyledons have rapidly put on some weight ;) but there are other genres to try out…
The belle of the ball in the germinatrix: Calycanthus floridus seedlings with convoluted cotyledons (which are rarely seen in other species):
Calycanthus floridus convoluted cotyledons
Calycanthus floridus seedlings with the first true leaves
This is an excerpt from the shop about Carolina allspice and I have nothing else to add:
“Calycanthus floridus is a deciduous shrub with glossy, aromatic foliage that can grow to about 3-4 m high, and the same or more in width. Remarkable when in flower; it has fragrant, red-wine coloured, and many petaled flowers that look a bit like Magnolia flowers; very attractive for pollinators too.
It is a very adaptable shrub that can grow from sun to shade, in almost any type of soil, and is very resistant to pests. A really trouble-free shrub for any garden; on my list of ‘to do it for myself”…
Done!
Calycanthus floridus seeds – nicked and soaked prior to sowing
One month later
PropagationSay cheese!
Arisaema triphyllum seedlings
My morning routine of checking the germinatrix revealed that all Arisaema seedlings (triphyllum, flavum and consanguineum) will be 1 month-old tomorrow (counting since sowing). Time goes by so fast!
I said it before but better to repeat – start Arisaema as early as you can, water plenty and they will have an extended season of growth (i.e. bigger tubers). This way, they can start flowering in the third year.
Note: all species mentioned are fast, warm germinators.
What’s for sowing today?
Plant portraits, PropagationThe lights were ‘fired up’ for a few impatient germinators and I started to sow more of the warm germinators. When it’s cold and drab outside there is really no other better thing than sowing and placing the little pots under the lights! I wasn’t thinking of sowing more Arisaema this year (I swear!), but as it happens I got a fairly large seed stock from someone :), and since I have plans for a little colony of this lovely Arisaema flavum, why wait?
A. flavum is not as impressive as other Arisaema spp. but it has a certain charm when the little yellow flowers are peeking from between the nice shoe-shaped leaves. Variable as height and spathe colour, it has female and male flowers on the same plant, and thus the red fruit will extend the garden décor into the fall. A. flavum ssp. abbreviatum is not recognized anymore as a subspecies, but there is a new one – ssp. tibeticum J. Murata. Most often the spathe colour is pure yellow or yellow with brown streakings.
Arisaema flavum
No less important is the fact that it is one of the few ‘foreign’ Arisaema reliable for our climate. Its large native distribution, from W. Himalaya, S. Tibet and W. China to Afghanistan and Yemen, shows how adaptable is. It is certainly an alpine Arisaema, found growing wild in sunny, open places from 1700m to 3000 m altitude.
It germinates fairly quickly, and like most Arisaema sp. I tried, if started early, it puts up a nice growth under the lights, and you will obtain bigger/flowering tubers in a shorter period of time. Mature tubers also offset well, so it is easy to keep it going and even share it with friends.
Arisaema flavum seeds
The more we grow from seeds, the more interesting forms for the garden!
Note: I also sowed some of our native A. triphyllum to keep it company :)
The purple bloom maple – Acer pseudosieboldianum
Plant portraits, PropagationA short interruption from the thistles to draw a bit of attention to the purple bloom maple (more often called Korean maple). This small tree is native to Manchuria, Korea and around Vladivostok/Russia, where it grows on rocky forested slopes. In the gardens it is best grown in full sun to light shaded locations.
Acer pseudosieboldianum is one of the very few safe options for colder climates (to zone 4) to enjoy the look-alike of a graceful Japanese maple and the brilliant fall foliage (usually red, but also orange-yellow).
Acer pseudosieboldianum fall coloration
It is very similar to the Japanese A. sieboldianum (another rarely seen maple), both having a nice layered habit; however, the purple bloom maple has hairy new growth and purple flowers. If you live in a colder area or know someone who does, give a try to this wonderful, hardy species. Also suitable for bonsai forming, which means that with skillful pruning, one could ‘create’ nice forms for the rockery and small gardens.
A few cold/moist stored seeds (nutlets actually) are available in the shop; some will be ready to germinate with the spring arrival, some may take their time, be patient…
Click on this LINK to see a spectacular specimen of Acer pseudosieboldianum, and as well A. sieboldianum and quite few others Japanese maples (from Wespelaar Arboretum, Antwerp – Belgium).