Despite the extremely graceful flowers on closer inspection, the individual liverwort (Hepatica nobilis) is usually rather inconspicuous in its appearance. As one of the earliest spring bloomers, it unfolds its full radiance by coloring entire forest clearings with its royal blue due to larger populations.
The liverwort only shows its beautiful flowers for a short time
Fast blooming spring bloomer with persistence
Depending on the weather and location, the liverwort pushes its bluish-purple flowers through the foliage on the forest floor towards the end of March or beginning of April. The usually several flowers close in rainy weather or during the night hours. During the day, however, they bring color to the mostly gray or brown soil in shady locations for about a week. Although the liverwort only flowers for a relatively short period of time in each vegetation period, it can become several decades old after planting in a suitable location without special care.
Use as an early bloomer in the garden
Ideally, the liverwort should not be planted under deciduous trees with very large foliage in the garden. However, it is ideal for underplanting and greening bare ground areas under:
- witch hazel
- hazel bush
- forsythia
tips and tricks
The name Hepatica is an allusion to the fact that the leaf shape of the Hepatica is reminiscent of a human liver. Since the liverwort is a nature reserve in Germany, you should only use specimens from plant breeding operations for your garden.