Hepatica nobilis Purple Forest

Hepatica nobilis 'Purple Forest' is part of a new series of noble liverworts with various colours that bring a lot of fantasy to this adorable little undergrowth plant. Its exquisite flowers are star-shaped and range from purple to violet, adorned with a lighter heart populated by pink stamens; they will animate rockeries and partially shaded borders of the garden, from the end of winter. Perennial but wandering, it likes to self-seed wherever it pleases: the plant for which you thought you had chosen the ideal spot may disappear for a reason only it seems to know, and 'move' at its convenience into one of your flower pots or in an unexpected place in the garden, forming here and there lovely cushions of trilobed leaves of an olive-green colour, which are decorative even in winter.

Hepatica nobilis, also called liverwort or liverleaf, is a perennial herbaceous plant of the Ranunculaceae family. It is present in almost all of Europe, as well as in Siberia and boreal America. Generally found in mountainous areas, it thrives in woodlands, on limestone and well-drained soil. The varieties of the 'Forest' series are derived from cross-breeding with the subspecies Hepatica nobilis var. japonica, which has large flowers of variable colour and often marbled foliage, but is less robust than our European hepatica.

The 'Purple Forest' cultivar develops slowly from a short and fibrous stump, forming a 15 cm (6 in) cushion in all directions. This small fluffy plant produces rosettes of tough, petioled leaves, divided into 3 round lobes, with shiny olive-green on the upper side, and reddish-brown or purple on the underside. The foliage usually persists in winter. Flowering takes place in March-April, more or less early depending on the climate. Each flower, 3-4 cm (1-2 in) in diameter, borne on a petiole just above the foliage, consists of 8 oval petals arranged in a star shape. In this 'Purple' variety, their colour can vary from pink-purple to violet-blue, creating a very pretty bouquet on this tiny plant.

Plant Hepaticas in groups of at least 6 to create a beautiful mass effect, in undergrowth, in all partially shaded areas, in rockeries or along paths or flower beds, but always in well-drained soil. They are charming when planted with early-flowering bulbs such as botanical crocuses, eranthis, daffodils, or Iris reticulata, for example.

Properties:

Hepatica nobilis is also a medicinal plant. Its name "hepatica" comes from the shape of its leaves, with 3 lobes, which can evoke that of the liver, as well as the reddish-brown colour of their undersides, which vaguely resembles that of this organ. According to the so-called "doctrine of signatures", which was authoritative in the Middle Ages, this small plant was reputed to treat liver ailments.