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What's blooming in Bath, Highland
 | | One of the earliest spring treats in Highland woodlands are the Hepaticas. The flowers range in color from white to pink to light blue to almost purple inset). The thick, leathery leaves survive over winter, but many are looking rather worn by the time the flowers appear in early spring. The first Hepaticas were opening last weekend on the road into the Walton tract. Expect them to spread across the Highlands this week and next. (Recorder photo by Charles Garratt) |
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MILLBORO SPRINGS - Ranging in color from white to purple, hepatica flowers have won the race to be the second early spring flower to grace the moist, rich woodlands of the Highlands this year.
Trout lily, which made its first appearance two weeks ago, is now like a carpet along and near Wilson Creek in Douthat State Park and by today will also be in thick colonies in the Walton Tract and appearing further north.
Hepatica, Hepatica nobilis, was just beginning to open at the Walton Tract over the weekend with some nice small clumps of white flowers and scattered blue flowers appearing above the liver-colored leaves. The different flower colors appear in plants growing close together and are probably simply a minor variation plant-to-plant rather than a soil or climate determined factor.
The round-lobed and sharp-lobed varieties of hepatica both occur in the Highlands, though the sharp-lobed variety is not as common. In the past, the two were listed as separate species, but now they are listed as different varieties of the same species, H. nobilis.
Both the round-lobed and sharp-lobed hepaticas are natives of North America and can be found in most states east of the Mississippi from Canada to Florida. The sharp-lobed variety is at risk in Florida and extreme northeastern states, mostly from loss of habitat.
Hepatica means "of the liver." The name comes from the shape and late winter color of the leaves. The leaves have three lobes, as does the liver. The thick, leathery texture and dark color of the leaves are also very liverlike.
The leaves are evergreen and like some other deep woods plants; hepatica takes ad- vantage of winter sun to continue to expand the rhizome underground. The leaves can tolerate snow cover but are damaged by dry, freezing conditions.
The flowers appear in late winter to early spring and may persist through mid-spring. The leaves die back as the flowers appear and new leaves will spring up in mid- to late spring.
Native and hybrid varieties of hepatica are available from nurseries for the home garden and landscape. Hepatica is a nice perennial addition to a native wildflower garden. The flowers add early spring color and the attractive leaves give depth and texture to flower beds and woodland borders.
Hepatica has been used medicinally since early Greek civilization for ailments of the liver. The use of hepatica to treat liver functions follows the "Doctrine of Signatures," the belief that a plant could cure whatever it looked like. The Greeks included cowardice, freckles and indigestion in the list of ailments hepatica could cure because they attributed these to the liver.
It is still very early in the wildflower season in the Highlands. Northern areas like Laurel Fork are still weeks away from significant flower blooms. In the southern part of Bath, skunk cabbage leaves are appearing.
A few brave bloodroots were seen this past weekend. Other flowers popping up in the coming week will include coltsfoot and toothwort. The foliage of Dutchman's breeches is up in some areas. Continued rains and moderate temperatures promise another spectacular spring wildflower season.
- Charles Garratt
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