Characteristics of the liverwort plant, the rules of planting and care in open ground, recommendations for reproduction, methods of combating diseases and pests, interesting notes, species and varieties.
The liverwort (Hepatica) is classified according to the botanical classification to the Ranunculaceae family. This genus in itself has, according to various sources, from two to ten varieties. Moreover, all of them in nature prefer to grow on the territory of the Northern Hemisphere in regions with a temperate climate, mainly in forest areas. If we talk about the central zone of Russia, then there is the possibility of only one single species, such as the Asian liverwort (Hepatica asiatica), which has chosen the forest mountain ranges in the southern regions of Primorye. But it is often considered as a subspecies of the noble liverwort (Hepatica nobilis).
| Family name | Buttercup |
| Growing period | Perennial |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Seed or vegetatively (by dividing the bush) |
| Landing period in open ground | Possible in the spring after flowering or in the fall |
| Landing rules | The distance between the divisions is 15–20 cm |
| Priming | Loose and nutritious |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 5-6, 5 (slightly acidic) or 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting degree | Any location - open and sunny or heavily shaded |
| Humidity parameters | Drought tolerant plant |
| Special care rules | Does not tolerate waterlogged soil |
| Height values | 10–20 cm during flowering |
| Inflorescence shape or type of flowers | Single flowers |
| Flower color | Snow white, blue, lilac or purple |
| Flowering time | April May |
| Decorative period | Spring |
| Application in landscape design | Flower beds, mixborders, decoration of garden paths, rock gardens and rockeries |
| USDA zone | 4–7 |
The plant got its name from the word in Greek "hepar", which means "liver". This is because the leaf plates very much resemble the indicated human organ in their outlines and for a long time it was believed that drugs based on the liverwort can help with liver diseases. This is because medieval healers believed that the appearance of a representative of the flora clearly indicated which organ it could be used to treat. There is some confusion, since among the people (and even Wikipedia) the liverwort is called Proleskaya, but if you look at these two plants, there is practically no similarity, with the exception of spring flowering and the preference for forest areas for growth.
Varieties of liverwort are evergreen perennials with a herbaceous form. They prefer moist substrates and shading in nature; it is almost impossible to meet them in an open place. Plants are characterized by a short and not thick rhizome with a tuberous-fibrous structure. The stems do not have branching, they have the outlines of arrows originating from the axils of the leaves in the root zone or the lower foliage resembling scales. The color of such stems can be brown or reddish-brown.
The outlines of the leaves are indeed somewhat similar to the contours of the liver. A root rosette is assembled from the leaf plates. Leaves are attached to more or less elongated petioles. The leaves are simple, slightly dissected, but mainly consisting of three lobes. The blades can also be both solid-edged and with large teeth on the edge. On the reverse side of the leaflets there is pubescence. At the beginning of development, the color of the leaves is reddish purple, but as they mature, it changes to dark green. The foliage surface is dense, leathery. It does not lose its attractiveness throughout the year, and some species even have the ability to remain evergreen and go under the snow.
Flower buds are laid in the autumn months, but as soon as the snow cover melts, buds immediately begin to bloom on hairy flowering stems. The leaves that make up the bedspread (there are usually 3 of them) are close to the flower and their size is very reduced (reduced), therefore they have sepals outlines. Flowers always grow singly, their size is medium or small. The corolla is composed of 3-5 pairs (in rare cases, this number is larger) of perianth leaves, characterized by rather narrow outlines. Their shade takes on a snow-white, blue, lilac or purple tone. A large number of stamens are seen inside the flower, arranged in a spiral order. The pistils have hairy pubescence of the surface, which looks like a shortened straight column. The flowering process falls on the period from April to May.
After flowering is complete, the pedicels begin to elongate and the flowers begin to bend towards the soil. Flowers are pollinated by not only butterflies, but beetles love to eat pollen, since the liverwort is devoid of nectar. When pollination occurs, the fruits ripen, which are elongated achenes (many-roots) with hairy pubescence. It is located on a plump receptacle with a bulge. The fruits of this spring plant are very loved by ants, because of the whitish juicy appendage, which carries a fraction of oil. Because of this content, insects eat the appendages. One shoot can carry 20–64 achenes. The seeds are carried by ants.
Important
The liverwort is distinguished from the scaffold by the structure and color of the foliage of the flowers. The scrub has linear lanceolate leaf plates, while the leaves of the liverwort are somewhat similar to clover (three leaf lobes). The flowers of the spruce are small and can gather in racemose inflorescences, while in the liverwort they always grow singly. The color of the petals in the woodland is almost always whitish or blue, but in the liverwort, there are species with a pink tint.
If you plant such a plant in large numbers in flower beds, then, as soon as the snow melts, they will delight you with flowering on green foliage carpets.
Rules for planting liverwort and care in open ground
- Landing place it is recommended to pick this primrose not too open, since direct sunlight harms plants, but some species and forms can perfectly tolerate even a dense shade. If direct sunlight hits the foliage, then it will quickly become covered with ugly black spots and may even begin to die off. Usually this rule applies to natural forms, but with the arrival of a new spring, the leaves will begin to recover again. Gardeners can easily be in a sunny location for decorative purposes. The best choice would be places under the openwork deciduous crowns of trees or bushes, but you can plant bushes on the slopes or among the stones. If the planting is nevertheless carried out in an open area, then the duration of flowering will be greatly reduced.
- Soil for liverwort directly depends on its shape. If it is natural, then a more moist and nutrient-rich substrate will be required. Horticultural varieties are durable and can show good growth and flowering in both relatively wet and dry soils. Also, the soil should be loose and fresh. Acidity indicators are selected in the range of pH 5-6, 5 (slightly acidic) or 6, 5-7 (neutral).
- Planting the liverwort should take place in the off-season, in the spring, when the plant goes dormant after flowering or in autumn. When planting, a hole is dug so that the renewal points on the seedlings are not below the soil surface. It is recommended to put a small amount of compost and fertilizer at the bottom of such a hole (it can be a complete mineral complex, like Kemira-Universal). If a place for planting is chosen, then it is recommended to transplant the bushes of this spring flower no earlier than after 4–5 years. The soil, after the seedling is set in the hole, is poured to the top and squeezed a little. Then it is necessary to carry out abundant watering and mulching of the plant. Such a tool can be peat chips, wood chips, bark or spruce needles.
- Watering when caring for the liverwort is not an important condition. This is due to the fact that the plant is drought-resistant, and besides, the soil has not yet had time to dry out much after the snow cover melts.
- General advice on care. The liverwort is particularly unpretentious if the location is carefully selected and the landing is carried out according to the rules. During the growing season, you only need to jig the young plants that have appeared due to self-seeding. It is also necessary to renew the mulching layer once from April to October. You will have to regularly monitor the appearance of weeds and carry out a fight with them.
- The use of liverwort in landscape design. If you have a desire to form a real blooming carpet from these primroses, then you should not place the liverwort next to representatives of the flora that can grow intensively - these are, for example, decorative species of sedge or plants from the cereal family, I will also not get along well next to periwinkle, duchenei and tiarella. Often, such spring-flowering bushes are usually planted next to paths to form bright color spots, to fill the voids between trees and shrubs. You can arrange a steep slope with clumps of liverwort or plant it in a rock garden or rockery, between stones. The best neighbors for the liverwort will be the same primroses - tender snowdrops or scyllas, crocuses of various colors and undersized irises, kupena, arizema or umbilicals. An excellent background can be thickets of ferns or hosts.
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Recommendations for the reproduction of the liverwort
To enjoy yourself after winter days with primroses, such a plant as a liverwort is perfect, which can be propagated both with the help of seeds and vegetatively, namely, dividing an overgrown curtain.
Reproduction of the liverwort by seeds
Usually, in this way, natural forms spread well, but in most cases, seeds of seeds may not set in them. Germination of seed can be delayed for several years. All due to the fact that the seeds fall on the substrate until mid-June unripe. It is during this period that seeds can be collected from achenes and sown into the soil in the garden.
Important
If the seeds dry out, they will immediately lose their germination. Immediately after ripening, they need moist soil for germination. Sometimes it is possible to preserve the seeds by placing them in moistened vermiculite or peat.
Seedlings can be seen only a year later in the spring. Flowering from such plants should be expected only after 3-4 years from the moment of sowing.
Important
You should not try to propagate the terry forms of the liverwort with the help of seeds, since they do not form fruits due to the lack of pistils.
Reproduction of the liverwort by divisions
When the bush is already quite adult, then a short rhizome is formed, which has several points of renewal and thin root processes that resemble bunches. Such a rhizome can be divided into 2-3 divisions. If such parts of the bush are still small in size, then it is wiser to root them in greenhouse conditions, otherwise planting is carried out directly on the flower bed. After the liverworms are planted, abundant watering is performed and for the first time, until the plants adapt, it is recommended to provide them with shading from direct sunlight.
Division should be done when the primroses are at rest - approximately in July-August. Until the autumn cooling begins, the delenki will have time to take root and, for the next growing season, will please with lush flowering. When planting divisions, it is recommended to leave 15–20 cm between them.
Since double forms are characterized by rapid growth, it was noticed that plants with pink flowers easily tolerate the division operation, but the growth of varieties with blue flowers is not so rapid, and the separation will be more difficult.
Without dividing in one place, the natural forms of the liverwort live well for about four years, but the garden ones can please with a longer period when their decorative effect will not be lost.
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Methods of combating diseases and pests when caring for the liverwort
The main problem in caring for the liver is diseases caused by fungi. They can be provoked by rainy, damp and cold weather, when the ambient temperature is kept within the range of 18-20 degrees. Often, the occurrence of problems can also be facilitated by the thickening of the plantings, when, after watering or rain, the soil cannot dry out for a long time. Among such diseases, powdery mildew and gray rot are distinguished. If a whitish or grayish bloom, spots of a brown or grayish hue are noticed on the foliage, then immediately all parts of the bush that are already affected should be removed, and the plant itself should be treated with fungicidal agents, such as Bordeaux liquid, Fundazol or Topaz.
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Interesting facts about the flower liverwort
If you use dried parts of a plant, then they practically do not contain toxic substances, since they decompose when dried. However, despite all the useful properties of the liverwort, its effect on the human body is negative. The use of drugs based on it should be strictly under medical supervision.
From the medicinal properties inherent in the liverwort, there are: the cessation of the putrefactive processes of infected wounds, getting rid of rashes and furunculosis, relieving pain symptoms accompanying polyarthritis and rheumatism. If you apply funds based on the liverwort externally, then there is a localization of a skin infection provoked by staphylococci. Also, at the same time, there is a pronounced anti-inflammatory effect and blood purification. Stimulation of the liver and gallbladder under the influence of such means is also observed.
However, contraindications for the use of the liverwort are so wide that they negate all of its positive effects. In the plant, as in any member of the Buttercup family, there are substances that provoke irritation of the mucous membrane.
Important
In no case should the liverwort be used fresh.
When used, a severe allergic reaction may occur, therefore it is recommended that before taking a remedy made from the liverworm, perform a simple test - drip a couple of drops on the inside of the hand next to the elbow. If the skin does not respond with redness or rash, then everything is in order.
You should not use any drugs based on parts of the liver, both internally and externally:
- women in position or nursing mothers;
- patients suffering from chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- with gastric ulcer or duodenal ulcer;
- children under 14 years of age.
Important
Knowing about these properties, you should not plant plants where small children or pets can reach them.
Due to the fact that in the spring the forests are filled with early flowering meadows from the liverwort, people prefer to enjoy the first flowers and pluck them in large quantities for bouquets. This put some species on the brink of extinction and had to be included in the Red Book (for example, in the Moscow region). Also, due to the active deforestation, which leads to their clarification, such representatives of the flora develop inactively in nature, their reproduction through seeds stops and, as a rule, they disappear from the given territory.
Description of the types and varieties of liverwort
Noble liverwort (Hepatica nobilis)
found in the literature under the name Anemone hepatica or Liverwort ordinary … The native area of natural growth falls on the territory of the European part of Russia, Western European countries, it is found in the wild in the Moscow region, where deciduous forests grow. Handles significant shading well or grows well in perfect open areas. Prefers acidic or neutral soil. Does not tolerate damp and waterlogged substrate.
A low-growing perennial, not exceeding 15 cm in height. In the root zone, the leaves on elongated petioles are characterized by a leathery surface. May be slightly pubescent or completely naked. The outlines of the leaf plates are wide-triangular, there is a division into lobes, the tops can be blunt or there is a slight sharpening. The color of young foliage is reddish purple, but then it turns dark green. The leaves easily endure the winter under the snow.
Flowers are arranged singly. Their diameter when fully opened is 2–3 cm, sometimes even larger. There are 3-4 bracts, characterized by the type of calyx. The flowers are crowned with elongated peduncles, devoid of leaves, but with a pubescent surface. Tepals are lilac-blue in color, in rare cases, forming white or pinkish. The buds open at the same time as the foliage unfolds. This time comes in early spring and stretches for 20 days. When new flowers are formed, the old foliage begins to gradually die off and new leaves come to replace it. The fruit is a multi-nut, which has an appendage, with a drop of oil, so beloved by ants.
The species began to be cultivated in 1440. To date, a large number of garden forms have been bred, but of greater interest are plants with a double structure of flowers and dark blue or pink color of the petals. There are such varieties that are popular with flower growers:
- Alba snow-white flowers open;
- Rosea has a very rich pink color of petals in flowers;
- Rosea Plena characterized by double flowers with pink petals;
- Rubra Plena It stands out for its terry structure of flowers and their crimson shade.
Transylvanian liverwort (Hepatica transilvanica)
may be named Hepatica angulosa. Quite a rare variety, coming from the territory of the Carpathians of Romania and Hungary. It is resistant to strong shading, low temperatures, numerous colors, disease and pest resistance.
An elegant rosette is formed from sheet leathery plates. The sheet consists of five lobes. Leaves remain decorative throughout the growing season. The plant is most attractive in mid-spring. When the snow cover completely disappears over the overwintered foliage, the flowers of an azure hue begin to rise on the flowering stems.
This variety is characterized by greater power, but the height of the stems is in the range of 8-10 cm, and the bush in diameter will be only 20 cm. The leaf blades are divided into 3-5 lobes, there is pubescence on the surface. The color of the flowers of the basic form is characterized by a sky-blue tint. When opening, the diameter of the corolla reaches 2, 4–4, 5 cm. Many garden forms have flowers in which the petals are cast in a whitish or pink color, their shape is lush. The flowering process occurs in mid-spring and lasts 10–20 days. It can grow quietly in strong shade, in culture it is resistant. Often self-sowing in the garden.
The most popular varieties are:
- Ada Scott - a bush that does not exceed the height of 10 cm, the petals in the flowers are narrowed, the color is blue.
- Alba characterized by stems that extend to 10-15 cm in height, snow-white flowers, open up to 4.5 cm in diameter.
- Blue Jewel or Blue pearl the owner of a bush in the range of 20-25 cm and bright blue flowers.
- Alison Spence decorates the garden with flowers of a sky-blue shade, a bush with height parameters of 15 cm.
- Lilacina - the stems grow up to 18 cm in height, the flowers are painted in a pink tone.
Medium liverwort (Hepatica x media
) is represented by a hybrid plant, which in recent years has become very popular among gardeners. The varieties are especially distinguished:
- Ballarzhi (Ballardii) - a perennial, characterized by a low growth rate, acquiring a dome-shaped bush, the stems of which rise to a height of only 10 cm, but the growth diameter is 30 cm. The leaf blades have 3 blades painted in a dark green color. Flowers are saucer-shaped, their structure is terry, since the corolla contains numerous petals. The color of the latter is saturated blue, quite intense, but other tones are also present. The flowering process begins in April, but it stretches for a longer period than the above-described species and varieties.
- Millstream Merlin has flowers with a simple corolla, and a blue tinge of petals.
Asian liverwort (Hepatica asiatica)
in nature, it can be found on the lands of the Primorsky Territory (Russian Far East). A perennial of squat outlines, with a rhizome not exceeding 15 cm in height. Leafy plates with a leathery surface, lobed, dying off in winter, but with the arrival of spring, growing back at the end of flowering. When the leaf is young, its color is brownish-pink and can be confused with a flower. Over time, the foliage turns green, but remains decorative until winter.
When flowering, a large number of single-growing buds are formed. The color of the flowers is whitish or pinkish, which favorably distinguishes them against the background of last year's brown foliage or soil. The flowering time falls on the period April-May, taking about 20 days. The fruit is a multi-nut. It is resistant to cultivation, but the growth rate is low, therefore, the division of the curtain is done every 5 years. No seeds are formed during such cultivation.
The Japanese have tried with the breeding of varieties characterized by two-color coloring of petals in flowers and their fullness, varying from semi-double to double. There are forms in which the flower has a central part composed of thin petals. The best varieties are recognized:
- Asahizuru combining pink, lilac and violet shades in one flower.
- Una bara interesting blue and white color of flowers.
- Wakakusa or Wild grass decorates the bush with flowers with pink-purple petals, the bases of which are green.
- Yoshinosato or Beautiful village becomes an ornament because of the pale pink petals with a snow-white center.
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Video about growing a liverwort in the garden:
