Hepaticas Are Blooming

These buttercup relatives are one of the first flowers to appear in spring, so their nectar is especially important for hungry insects. Their charming blue, white, or pink flowers only rise about six inches above the ground, on fuzzy stems. The leathery, three-lobed leaves are distinctive, and usually lay close to the ground. 'Hepatica' comes from the Greek word hêpar, meaning 'liver', because the leaves were thought to resemble the human liver. The plants may also be called Liverleafs.

You may see Hepaticas near the summit of the Winding Way trail. The one pictured here was right on the trail, so I placed rocks nearby to protect it from trampling.