I've tried growing Hepatica a couple times, but I killed them with overwatering. After observing them always growing on the sides of woodland hills, I realize they also need excellent drainage, and a placement in part shade under deciduious trees.

Sharp Lobed Liver-Leaf, Hepatica acutiloba

Hepatica acutiloba, Sharp Lobed Liver-Leaf

They grow wild at the cabin in central MN even in the lawn so i dig up babies and bring them home. As noted above they do great in my dry sandy shade.

But not on chalk (or indeed, any soil with a PH over 7.5). Another consistent fail for me, along with lupine.

They also love organic matter and have no problem poking through the leaves in spring. Mulching with well rotted leaves would be beneficial. They ususally are growing alongside Cut-leaf Toothwort, Cardamine concattenata,Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata, Rue Anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides, Short's Aster, Symphyotrichum shortii, Spring Beauty, Claytonii virginica, and Virginia Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum virginicum, Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla, and Trillium, T. sessile, T. recurvatum.

Spring Beauty, Claytonii virginica

Sometimes the flowers can be dark purple/pink. There are 2 rare varieties with yellow flowers.

Cut-leaved Toothwort, Cardamine concattenata. pink and white flowered forms.

Virginia Bluebell, Mertensia virginica. They frequently have white flowered plants.

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis

Hepatica acutiloba, Sharp Lobed Liver-leaf.

evergreen/red foliage

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum.

White Trout Lily, White Dog Tooth Violet, Erythronium albidum. Young plants will produce only 1 leaf for years before making 2 leaves and blooming. These leaves are as pretty as the flowers.

Rue anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides. There are deeper colored and double flowered cultivars.

Wild Phlox, Phlox divaricata

Wild Hyacinth, Camassia scilloides. Excellect camouflage on the Galium, but I spotted it.

Jacob's Ladder, Pollemonium retans, Woodland Phlox, Phlox divaricata, Pink Turtlehead, Chelone obliqua, Great White Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum, Fire Pink, Silene virginicum.

Blue Eyed Mary, Collinsia verna.

I planted it just outside the drop line of a hydrangea tree close to the house. I hope it's not too moist there, the downspout drains in that area (but on the other side of tree and down a gentle slope from there). If I have to I can move it to under a maple tree where it's definitely on the dry side in summer but I'd really never see it, it's too far away from the house.

I've only ever seen H. nobilis once in the wild. They were inches from the edge of the retreating snow in the German Alps. Plenty of moisture and sharp drainage.