The Blue Anemone
Hepatica Nobilis
Hans-Jørgen Wallin Weihe
The Inland University of Applied Sciences
Lillehammer Norway
H-J.Wallin.Weihe@inn.no

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The Blue Anemone Hepatica nobilis – The flower of resistance, survival and beauty. The Norwegian
name means Blue (blå) and the type of flower wich is called ”veis”, which include a number of
anemone flowers like the wood anemone. The anemones have been described in eraly historical
botanical works back to the Greek time and means a flower moving in the wind.

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A small spring flower blossoming before other flowers early in the spring often in places later
covered with dense vegetation. In German the flower is called Hassel blume – since it is growing
underneath the dense vegetation of hazel bushes.

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An illustration from a botanical book from the early 1900s. The Latin name has later on been
altered from Anemone Hepatica to Hepatica nobilis.

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Variations in the flowers (number of petals) of the blue anemone Hepatica nobilis

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Colour variations in the Blue anemone Hepatica nobilis  (from white, to nearly red to the mots
commonly found blue).

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The illustration is from a botanical thesis of the 1930s

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Typical area of growth in abushy terrain with hazel bushes – later leaves on the bushes will make
it difficult for plants to grow underneath.

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Botanical reference samples from the collection of the botanical Museum in Oslo.

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Colour variations and differences in flowers

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The redish coloured blue anemone is somewhat of a mystery a highly sought after

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Variations in the leaves of Hepatica nobilis

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Pulsatilla and anemones – earlier they were all classified in one family together with Hepatica
nobilis

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Anemone of the Baltic

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The ”hairy” or ”pussy” flower. The hairs on the stem is typical of arctic flowers and give some
protection against frost

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The Swede Carl von Linné (1707 – 1778) made the modern system for classification of plants.

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Swedish botanical work from 1643 – at the time the flower hepatica was thought off as medical plant
that could be used to treat liver diseases. The shape of the leaves resembles the shape of the
human liver.

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The distribution of Hepatica nobilis and variations in flowers in Europe.

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Blue and white anemone with dry leaves from the fall on the ground.

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An Himalay variety

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Cultivated Japanese variations of Hepatica nobilis – other Asian variations exists in China, Korea,
Pakistan and India

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The Japanese distribution of Hepatica nobilis

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A wild Norwegian variation of Hepatica nobilis

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