02 | March | 2014 | Words and Herbs

It’s been a winter of extremes for many of us – very mild here in Germany with practically no snow, extremely wet and windy in the UK with serious flooding for many, and then freeezing temperatures in the north of the US and Canada for most of this year so far, not to mention the horrible drought in California…

I just hope spring will be a little kinder – to everyone. Having said that, March came in like a lamb here… does that mean it will go out like a lion? Hope not!

It may not be spring officially yet, but this signifies spring to me…

Hepatica nobilis

Hepatica nobilis, also known as Anemone hepatica, is one of the first native plants to flower here. And when I see its petals unfurling my heart does a somersault and I ~~feel like jumping up and down~~ jump up and down with happiness!

(Click on this picture to admire those perfectly pretty colours at the centre more closely)

Liverwort is actually not a very attractive common name, but it does at least remind us of the distinctive foliage. One of its many common names in German dialect is Haselblume – “hazel flower” – which I rather like as it appears when the hazel is also in flower.

I can relate to this plant so well – its petals furl back up when it rains and at night. Very sensible.

My post on Hepaticas from 2012 can be seen here: Hepatica nobilis

And here is something that may be of interest to any British readers:

“Hepatica 2014” at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Sunday 16th March

I also discovered this wonderful website: www.hepatica.eu Take a look at the wonderful slideshows – I had no idea there are so many different ones!