Hepatica Leaf from the Previous Year

Hepatica Leaf, March 22, 2005
This may not be the most "beautiful" picture I have ever made, but it certainly does a good job of showing off the shape and texture of a hepatica leaf from the previous year. In the sunlight, the leaf appears somewhat shiny and leathery. This same photograph looks terribly flat and boring in the shade.
Whenever I walk through a forest during late winter or early spring, I look for hepatica leaves along the leaf litter of the forest floor. This tells me where the hepatica flowers will eventually bloom. Hepatica is the only wildflower that has a leathery leaf with three lobes, so it is pretty easy to spot. Also, hepatica is not extremely common, so don't be surprised if it is absent. But once you find one plant, chances are you will find several more!
There are actually two species of hepatica in the eastern forests of the United States. Hepatica acutiloba, shown above, has somewhat pointed tips at the end of each lobe. While the lobes of Hepatica americana are more rounded, somewhat like the shape of a clover.