Anemone americana (Round-lobed Hepatica)

Plant Info
Also known as: Liverleaf, Liverwort
Genus:Anemone
Family:Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)
Life cycle:perennial
Origin:native
Habitat:part shade, sun; mixed upland woods
Bloom season:April - May
Plant height:3 to 6 inches
Wetland Indicator Status:none
MN county distribution (click map to enlarge):Minnesota county distribution map
National distribution (click map to enlarge):National distribution map

Pick an image for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.

Detailed Information

Flower: Flower shape: 6-petals Flower shape: 7+petals

[photo of flower] A single flower ½ to 1 inch across is at the end of a hairy leafless stalk. There are 5 to 12 petal-like sepals, usually 6, and numerous white stamens surrounding a green center. Petal color ranges from violet to white, sometimes pinkish. Behind the flower are 3 large hairy bracts each up to ½ inch long, oval to egg-shaped with a blunt or rounded tip. One plant has a tuft of a few to many flowers.

Leaves and stems: Leaf attachment: basal Leaf type: lobed Leaf type: simple

[photo of leaves] Leaves are up to 3 inches long and wide on a slender hairy stalk up to 6 inches long, and lobed in 3 parts of similar size, each lobe generally round to oval with a well-rounded tip. The leaves don't start opening up until the flowers bloom.

[photo of 2-tone leaves] Leaves are mostly solid green or 2-tone green through spring and summer, turn dark green or brown in fall and persist through the winter. They wither away when the plant starts blooming again the following spring.

Notes:

Hepaticas are among the first flowers to bloom in the spring. Sharp-lobed Hepatica and Round-lobed Hepatica have gone through a couple of name changes, at one time Hepatica acutiloba and H. americana respectively, and more recently considered different varieties of the same species, Hepatica nobilis var. acuta and var. obtusa respectively. Now they are different species again, in the Anemone genus, and closely related to the European species Anemone hepatica. The easiest way to differentiate Sharp-lobed from Round-lobed is—you guessed it—the round or pointed tips on leaves. The flowers are much the same and, while the tips of the bracts on Sharp-lobed may be more pointed than on Round-lobed, this can be subtle so is not necessarily a reliable distinction. Their ranges overlap significantly and may be found in the same habitat at the same time of year, though Round-lobed Hepatica may be found on drier sites in more acidic soils.

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More photos

Photos by K. Chayka taken at Wild River State Park, Chisago County, and Falls Creek SNA, Washington County. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Washington and Dakota counties.

Comments

Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?

Posted by: Pat - Pillager
on: 2011-11-06 08:49:35

I have these growing in my yard near Pillager along the Crow Wing River. They are really nice Spring bloomers.

Posted by: Lori - wisconsin
on: 2012-04-04 18:40:13

I have white ones blooming in my yard by the lake in north central Wisconsin

Posted by: Ken - Jay Cooke State Park
on: 2012-04-07 12:12:58

Saw several patches of these beauties in Jay Cooke State Park, near Duluth, on April 6

Posted by: Dennis - mille lacs
on: 2012-04-15 21:39:25

I have these growing all over my property -one of the first flowers.

Posted by: vickie - Crosslake
on: 2012-04-24 21:09:58

These are my favorite spring wildflowers!! I was so happy to see them today growing along our lake path, both white and pale lavender ones. Hope to find some of the deeper purple ones too.

Posted by: Sandra - Upper Red Lake
on: 2012-05-31 12:48:58

I saw a beautiful blue patch of these when hiking the Lost Forty on May 9.

Posted by: Sharon - Brimson area
on: 2013-06-10 20:57:40

I found several grouping of these flower (both purple and white) up by my cabin in the Brimson, MN area. So beautiful!

Posted by: Allen - Nevis
on: 2014-05-11 21:28:41

I saw a few of these and took a photo while going to my favorite trout lake in the Paul Bunyan State Forest on fishing opener weekend.

Posted by: Susan - Carlton County
on: 2014-05-18 12:17:47

They are abundant in the Blackhoof WMA, Carlton County. Gorgeous.

Posted by: Mona - Pequot Lakes/Jenkins area
on: 2014-05-22 11:15:56

This is the first time that we have seen these on our wooded property. Such a nice welcome to the warmer weather. I have the violet and white everywhere!

Posted by: Linda - Lebanon Hills Park, Eagan
on: 2015-05-29 01:40:00

Only one plant that I have ever found in Leb. Hills Park--at Jensen Lake. Beautiful lavender flowers but gone so quickly!

Posted by: Peg - Kanabec Co.
on: 2015-10-30 16:38:24

We have them in and around our yard on the Snake River.

Posted by: Laurie - Mankato
on: 2016-04-03 19:44:35

Found clusters of white at a little park off Hwy. 22 south of Mankato and then several groupings if pink, purple and white on the slopes oh Red Jacket trail. Trillion abounds in the same areas.

Posted by: Nan - 15 miles north of Detroit Lakes
on: 2016-04-27 01:21:58

These Hepatica have been blooming for at least 2 weeks in our woods. Their color runs from almost white to a deep purple. They are so gorgeous against the brown, dull dead forest floor.

Posted by: Tia - Willow River MN/Northern Pine County
on: 2016-05-01 19:49:40

In full bloom!

Posted by: Connie - The Lost 40
on: 2016-05-17 12:09:11

Saw these blooming at the beginning of May in the Lost 40, sitting in a pool of sunshine on the forest floor.

Posted by: Michele - Jay Cooke State Park
on: 2016-05-19 10:55:53

These are just starting to bloom, we are a little behind this year because of the cold start to Spring.

Posted by: Marion - Wild River State Park
on: 2017-04-10 14:41:03

We saw these blooming over the weekend at Wild River SP on the St. Croix!

Posted by: Dan A - Eastern Norman County.
on: 2017-05-04 19:02:49

Took a walk in some woods on a trail near Twin Valley, Mn. today after work and just happened to see some blooming. Have seen them in those same woods previous Springs to. Never knew what they were called until now.

Posted by: Marsha S - Near Littlefork, MN
on: 2017-05-07 14:38:56

What a joy to find these beautiful flowers...first time ever for me. I had been looking and then we found some along the Littlefork River in Koochiching County.

Posted by: Jack - Itasca State Park
on: 2017-05-14 15:43:19

Saw on nice cluster of these on Mothers Day walk (2017) on Jacob Brower Trail between Douglas Lodge and visitor's center.

Posted by: Kenard - Oxbow Park, Olmsted County
on: 2018-05-02 21:50:34

These are all over in the Oxbow Park.

Posted by: Patti - Lake Ossiwinamakee
on: 2019-05-11 15:56:29

hundreds of deep violet colored ones found today on our lake property.

Posted by: Dawn - La Salle Lake State Recreation Area, Hubbard County
on: 2019-05-18 11:33:13

May 16, on challenge trail. SW side of lake. Spring...finally... :0)

Posted by: Mari - Ogema Township
on: 2019-05-22 18:46:57

On our wooded property, near St Croix State Park. Lovely little white flowering plants. Beautiful leaves.

Posted by: Marty Walsh - Fuggles Mill, RJD State Forest, Olmsted County
on: 2020-04-13 09:37:55

Hundereds of these, along with trillium, covering the blufftops.

Posted by: Daniela Bell - William O'Brien State Park
on: 2020-04-20 11:35:09

within Wm O'Brien State Park, up the hill from Lake Alice, population starts about halfway up the hill. I saw them on 4/17/2020 but a friend saw them there on 4/11/2020 as well.

Posted by: Janice Opfinger - Spring Lake Regional Park, Prior Lake MN
on: 2020-04-21 11:14:22

Smaller patch in the deeper purple color along the path on the West side of the park trail near a stream. So beautiful to see these beauties pushing up through last year's leaves on the forest floor.

Posted by: Donna Turner - Circle Pines
on: 2020-04-26 14:36:38

One plant blooming in Baldwin Park along a wooded footpath.

Posted by: Barb Barnes - Whitewater State Park
on: 2020-04-27 11:17:11

Saw a lot of these on the forest floor of Whitewater State Park yesterday.

Posted by: Duane DeLorme - Green Bay, Wisconsin
on: 2020-05-19 23:55:19

I have white Hepatica Americana growing in my wooded area in northeast Green Bay..

Posted by: Chelsi - Elba, mn
on: 2021-04-04 21:53:23

Blooming in the bluff woods, seem very abundant this year.

Posted by: Carly Austin-Kukowski
on: 2021-04-10 11:39:25

Found in Farmers Community Park, outside Stockton, MN

Posted by: Melissa G. - Grand Rapids, MN
on: 2021-04-19 15:17:41

While cleaning up the yard I stumbled across a small patch of Hepatica spp. I have pics to share if interested. Very pretty little flowers. They made my day!

Posted by: Christa St John - Welch / vasa/ cannon falls area
on: 2021-04-27 15:39:11

These are along the cannon river banks.. they are so beautiful..

Posted by: Rick A - Crow Wing County
on: 2021-04-28 14:04:24

Strange that I haven't noticed these before, but I have lots of them both white and purple blooming in my woods right now. Very pretty little flowers.

Posted by: Birdandbill - Omsted Cty, Oronocco TSP
on: 2021-05-04 08:13:50

Abundant, started appearing diffusely on Zumbro River upland at end of April, still present May 4. Many hundreds. Striking, up close. In company with downy yellow violets.

Posted by: Scott Fluegel - Rice Lake State Park
on: 2021-12-04 18:19:13

There are many Sharp Lobbed Hipatica in Rice lake State Park.

Posted by: Molly Petermeier - St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park
on: 2022-04-23 21:22:20

Spotted April 23, leaping up through loamy leaf litter. Lovely!

Posted by: Pam - Central Itasca County
on: 2022-05-09 17:29:51

Blooming in a lightly wooded area off my yard. Lovely little white blossoms, exactly as described above.

Posted by: Audrey Ebert - Near Crosby/Deerwood MN
on: 2023-05-08 15:32:03

Lovely flowers in a wooded yard near our cabin. So pretty!!

Posted by: Nika Anderson - Lake Bemidji State Park
on: 2023-08-05 20:43:47

Have seen this growing along the Paul Bunyan State Trail, and thought it was a really pretty green leaf. Even took some photos to identify in case I could add it to my native plants in my yard.

Posted by: Paul Forstter - Dakota County
on: 2024-04-10 15:35:33

April 10th. Hepatica blooming already. The first wildflower of the year so far.

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