• Life Cycle: Ephemeral
• Bloom Time: April-May
• Sun Exposure: Partial, Shade
• Bloom Color: White, Pink, Blue

As the first spring ephemeral to bloom in the forest, Sharp-lobed Hepatica is a delightful sight after a long winter. John Burroughs, the famous 19th century American naturalist, once said, “There are many things left for May, but nothing fairer, if as fair, as the first flower, the hepatica..” This petite little plant can be a variety of colors including white, pink and blue.

Hepatica can be identified by the distinctive, mottled leaves which turn a crimson color in the fall. In late winter, the bright red color of last year's leaves are a good indication of where the new blooms will appear come spring. The appearance of the leaves has inspired another common name, "Liverleaf." The name references the perceived similarity of the leaf shape to the human liver. Ancient herbalists believed in the "Doctrine of Signatures," the idea that the cures to medical ailments could be found in the plants that resembled the diseased human body part. Hepatica was creatively imagined to be shaped like a liver, and as such, it was historically used to treat ailments of the liver. Like many plants believed to have medicinal qualities, Hepatica was almost over-harvested to the brink of extinction. Modern medical science has shown Hepatica to have no medical efficacy, and the Doctrine of Signatures has also since been proven to be pseudoscience.