The Temperate Database is in the process of being updated, with new records being added and old ones being checked and brought up to date where necessary. This record has not yet been checked and updated.

Common Name: American Liverleaf

General Information

Hepatica acutiloba is a perennial plant that can grow up to 0.25 metres tall.
It is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine..

Known Hazards

Although no specific mention has been seen for this species, most plants in this family are poisonous. This toxicity is usually of a low order and the toxic principle is destroyed by heat or by drying[, , , ].

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Maine to Minnesota, south to Georgia, Alabama and Missouri

Habitat

Rich woods[]. Deciduous woods, often in calcareous soils, from sea level to 1200 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Bees, Flies, Beetles, Lepidoptera
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Prefers a deep light soil with leafmold[]. Grows well on limey woodland soils in half shade, though it also succeeds in deep shade and in full sun[].
Plants resent root disturbance and should be placed in their permanent positions as soon as possible[].
This species is closely related to H. americana[].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A tea made from the leaves is laxative[]. It is used in the treatment of fevers, liver ailments and poor digestion[]. At one time it became a cult medicine as a liver tonic and 200,000 kilos of dried Hepatica leaves were used in 1883 alone[]. Externally, the tea is applied as a wash to swollen breasts[].
The plant is harvested in late spring or early summer and is dried for later use[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - sow in a moist soil in a shady position[]. The stored seed requires stratification for about 3 weeks at 0 - 5°c. Germination takes 1 - 12 months at 10°c. It is probably worthwhile sowing the seed as soon as it is ripe in a shady position in a cold frame. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Division just as the leafless plant comes into flower in late winter. Replant immediately into their permanent positions.