Hepatica 2012

[razvan chisu]

Spring is finally here. 21C today (-11C in the morning a week ago) and the first Hepatica flowers

[WimB]

Spring is finally here. 21C today (-11C in the morning a week ago) and the first Hepatica flowers

And a very nice soft colour that is, Razvan!

[wolfgang vorig]

Hepatica nobilis

[Luc Gilgemyn]

What a wealth of splendid Hepatica's !!!

I have H. "Millstream Merlin" in flower right now ! 

[annew]

I was looking at Millstream Merlin today. It does not have stamens. Does anyone know if it will set seed if pollinated with something else?

[Diane Clement]

I was looking at Millstream Merlin today. It does not have stamens. Does anyone know if it will set seed if pollinated with something else?  

No it won't because Millstream Merlin is a hybrid between Hh acutiloba and transsilvanica.  Other "maiden" forms of pure species can set seed if pollinated from another plant.  There is some recent research which says that Hepatica acutiloba can be found in male and female forms.  I have a maiden form of pure H acutiloba whose flowers look very like Millstream Merlin but is a taller plant and has H acutiloba leaves, unlike Millstream Merlin which has inherited some characteristics from H transsilvanica leaves.  One theory is that a maiden form of H acutiloba is the mother of Millstream Merlin, pollinated with H transsilvanica.

[annew]

Thanks for the excellent info, Diane.

[Paul T]

Anne,

I'd be daubing pollen on it anyway, just in case.  Sometimes nature finds a way.    Certainly not going to harm it trying, and if you get seed from it, brilliant.

I was always told that Anemone blanda 'Radar' was unable to set seed.  Mine did, after a number of years of trying each year.  I now have a seedling that almost matches it's mum.... which I am hoping will be longer lived than the original which I know very few people can keep going here in Australia at least.

[annew]

Already done, Paul.

[kalle-k.dk]

Here is a small collection of the filled Hepatica nobilis that have come this year. As you can see they are different and there is pollen in all of them so of course I use them in my crosses and I hope there will come other color or forms.

[WimB]

Here is a small collection of the filled Hepatica nobilis that have come this year. As you can see they are different and there is pollen in all of them so of course I use them in my crosses and I hope there will come other color or forms.

Wonderful, Karl!! Looking forward to seeing some new forms in a couple of years!

[annew]

A wonderful deep colour, too.

[Paul T]

Wow, that is a rather lovely windowsill collection.  

My one and only double Hep didn't make it unfortunately.  I was actually down visiting the lovely person who gave it to me at the time that the snails or something consumed every leaf it had.  It had flowered the previous year, done quite well for me and looked like it was producing a second crown, but losing every leaf on it in spring just stopped it completely and it never produced another leaf, just withering away.  I was mortified.  It was a double pink, and I was pleased as punch to have it.  I would have thought it would survive being defoliated once, but apparently not.    The doubles are so incredibly rare here, which I think is why whatever beastie that attacked it chose that particular plant and ignored all the others.  Whether it was bird, snails or mice I don't know.   I've never had the heart to tell the person who gave it to me, but I am guessing that he'll know now after reading this.   I feel like it was such a waste, and like I've let him down by failing with it.

Now I am waiting and hoping for germination in seed pots from seed sown last year from parents with the double genes.  Fingers and everything crossed for that.

[Loripep]

Hello everyone;

I've started my own hepatica collections (pics to follow soon I hope) but it's very tough to source out plants/seeds.

Can anyone suggest a source to obtain material directly from Japan? How about any of Severin Schlyter's crosses.

I have one source in Canada for the filled japonicas but they have limited stock.

Thanks everyone,

Lori

[Peppa]

Hello everyone;

I've started my own hepatica collections (pics to follow soon I hope) but it's very tough to source out plants/seeds.

Can anyone suggest a source to obtain material directly from Japan? How about any of Severin Schlyter's crosses.

I have one source in Canada for the filled japonicas but they have limited stock.

Thanks everyone,

Lori

Lori, so far, the only Japanese site I know of that sells Hepatica seeds is http://www.yukiwarisouen.jp/index.htm. I got their seed list several years ago but I haven't ordered from them yet... I remember that their seeds are from crosses of well-known Hepaticas. They said that the seeds will be ready around mid-May. You might want to contact them as to how you could place an order. The site is all in Japanese, however...