Silver-splashed Hepaticas

Our neighbors to the east have lived in their house since this neighborhood was young. In that time they've created a mature landscape, centered on a very productive vegetable garden. We've often enjoyed the fruits (and veggies and herbs) of their labors in the 15 years we've lived next door to them. Since they're busy in the summer with the food garden, their ornamental plants are mainly spring ephemerals and we've also been the recipients of a number of their spring treasures. 

I love the fuzzy stems on these Hepatica acutiloba 'Silver Leaf." 

Some, like Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginiaca) have been passed from hand-to-hand, but many have serendipitously  found their way into our garden on their own, including sharp and round-lobed Hepaticas (H. acutiloba and H. nobilis), Dutchman's britches (Dicentra cucullaria) and checkered lily (Fritillaria meleagris). Most of them self-seeded in the moss in the days when I was sitting there pulling out blades of grass, one by one. Thus it was easy to notice a tiny little seedling and move it to a spot where it could grow without fear of being stepped on. 

The strong purple cast of the stems and buds makes the flowers look blushed with color as well. 

Once I realized that Hepatica flowers were ephemeral but the beautiful leaves were not, I was hooked on this lovely little native. I grouped every miniscule seedling into clumps where they could fill in and create a mound of foliage that remained attractive until it was buried by the snow. Last year, on a mid-summer visit to the Flower Factory in Stoughton, I discovered a stunning new H. acutiloba variety with leaves that were not only larger than the norm, but heavily splashed with silver. I planted one under a 50-year-old Arborvitae where it quickly settled in. 

This tattered leaf is a left-over from last year's plant but shows the strong silvering. 

Though it was listed as blooming in a mix of colors, it came up this Spring virtually white. Since it is listed again in the 2010 Flower Factory catalog, I am planning to splurge on half-a-dozen more plants — at $10.25 each (yes, more than twice the price of typical Hepaticas!). I have so much dry shade in my garden that any plant that grows under an Arborvitae gets my vote and my money. This time I will buy them when they are likely to be blooming so I can try for more white flowered plants.

This Felco pruner shows how small Hepaticas are; it takes a big clump to make a garden statement. 

But to be on the safe side, I am ordering a couple of H. acutilobas from Seneca Hill Perennials which sound very similar to the plant I bought last summer. Their on-line catalog describes them as plants "distinguished by their well-mottled leaves, relatively large stature and leaf size, and vigorous growth habit." They note that they hand-pollinate these seedlings to help keep the colors true, but they haven't yet "grown out a crop so don't really know" what will happen when they bloom. You're buying them on that basis, and at $8.99 per plant I am willing to take that chance. Seneca Hill has some wonderful color choices in their Hepatica offerings, but I am really interested in the leaves, because they are what lasts and makes this a plant worth growing.

Comments

[Mr. McGregor's Daughter]

You'd better get to The Flower Factory before me, or there won't be any left! I love Hepatica and silvery variegation sounds great. What does it look like in fall? Does it turn ruby like the species acutiloba/nobilis var. acuta?

[Altoon]

What a lovely little plant, which I've never heard of before; it's not even listed in my "Perennials for American Gardens". It looks like a small version of an anemone, Snowdrop, anemone sylvestris, which is horribly invasive in my garden; I read on Wikipedia that it's sometimes grouped with anemones.

[LINDA from EACH LITTLE WORLD]

MMD — No significant fall color change. In the third and fourth photos you can see fall foliage after being buried under snow. I would say it turns green and brown rather than the green and silver of summer.

Altoon — I first planted Snowdrop anemone in 2004 and have added more since then, but it is very slow to grow or spread in my garden. Still, I may be in for a surprise one of these days.

I think Hepaticas should grow for you and the foliage is lovely all year long. It is probably not listed in "Perennials" because it is a spring ephemeral, but the leaves last in my garden.

[Lisa at Greenbow]

That photo showing the fuzzy stems makes one want to pet it. They are so tiny yet beautiful.

[Julie Siegel]

I would guess that Altoon's Anemone sylvestris have more sun than Linda's.

Glorious photos and yes, this plant is new to me too.

[MNGarden]

You have sold me. I want some. :)