Hepatica is a wonderful native plant with very early spring blooms and attractive evergreen foliage. It is not uncommon for it to bloom in January just in time to pick up your winter weary gardening spirits.

It does very well here and we find it on many of the GNPS rescue sites. It appreciates good drainage, often growing in rocky conditions and also at the base of trees.

You will find a good selection of it at the GNPS sale this Saturday (I'm bringing eight of them myself!).

This link has some gorgeous pictures taken by a gardener in Ontario.

Here is a link that might be useful: hepatica pictures

By the way, we usually find the round lobed hepatica around here. The only place I've seen hepatica for sale is at Ladyslipper on Hwy 140 in Canton and that was the sharp lobed one. Someone commented that the sharp lobed one prefers more alkaline soil, but I've no experience with it personally.

The sharp-lobed ones(Hepatica acutiloba) actually perform better for me than the round-lobed native(H. americana), that seem to prefer sharp drainage and are usually found on sandy or rocky slopes. I also grow H. nobilis(European), H. asiatica & H. henryi(both Asian). H. nobilis is a finiky one, but the two Asian specied are relatively easily cultivated. I would suggest starting withe the local native, H. americana, and provide them with a well drained soil mixture, incorporating small rocks, sand or gravel if necessary. The GNPS plant sale on Saturday will be your best source of plants, assuming you arrive VERY early, as they will sell out fast!
Rb

BTW, failed to mention that Graham Rice is now an American resident, having married a citizen and currently lives in PA. Maybe he will now write a few tomes about American gardening! His books about Hellebores are an invaluable addition to any serious gardener's library.
Rb

Thanks for the information. I'll try to get to Piedmont Park early Sat to get some hepatica. Rb, this is the first Graham Rice book I've read. I love it. What a good writer. I hope he does some American gardening books too.

sugarhill, let me know if you still need some hepatica. I could probably trade you some. I will not be at this weekend's trade, but we could do it another time. Email me through GW if you want to.

I bought sharp-leaved hepatica last Friday (May 19) at Thyme After Thyme in Winterville (the eastern side of Athens.)