Sharp-lobed Hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)Buttercup Family Sharp-lobed Hepatica is a perennial native to rich, deciduous woodlands of eastern North America. Among the earliest wildflowers to bloom in late winter to early spring, it produces star-like flowers in shades of white, pale blue, lavender, or pink, often before the emergence of new leaves. Flowers are held above an evergreen basal rosette of leathery, three-lobed leaves with sharply pointed tips. It prefers dappled to full shade with soil high in organic content. While not a nectar source, Hepatica acutiloba provides early-season pollen for native bees, including overwintering queen bumblebees and solitary bees emerging in spring. Blooms: White, Blue, Pink, 2-3 weeks, Feb-Mar Leaves:Leathery, lobed, pointed basal leaves are often mottled and red in cooler months Height: 3-6” Space:6-12” Soil:Moist-Average Exposure:Shade-Part Shade Fauna:Small bees and flies, pollen only Seeds:Fuzzy achenes are ripe by late March Deer Resistance:High Zone:4-8 Native Status: NC native, uncommon in the Piedmont and Mountains Provenance:Unknown, asexually produced
