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Hepatica americana

American Hepatica · American Liverleaf · Round-lobe Hepatica

Family RanunculaceaeGenus Hepatica

Rounded three-lobed, slightly hairy green leaves held over fingertips above leaf litter
LeafRob Routledge, Sault College, Bugwood.orgCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

The plant

Habit
Herbaceous Perennial, WildflowerExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Height
3-9 in10-25 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Spread
3-9 in10-25 cmExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Flower
Blue, Pink, Purple/Lavender, WhiteExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Blooms
SpringExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Native range
Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy
Hardiness zones
3-8Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Growing conditions

Sun
Dappled Sunlight; Partial ShadeExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), SandExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
Moisture
Good Drainage, MoistExtension Gardener Plant Toolbox

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — NC State Extension; Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 56 days.

31% germination in 56 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Hepatica p. 152Public domain
Show the original text
Hepatica (Ranunculaceae). The three species germ. strictly at 40 and best if preceded by a 3 m cycle at 70. DS was fatal. Only the radicle develops at 40, and a major problem was getting the cotyledons to develop on shifting to 70. It is likely that gradually increasing the T from 40 to 70 would have given much better results. H. americana (triloba) germ. 70-40(31% in 8th w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Hepatica p. 152. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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