Hepatica nobilis var. japonica f. magna ("Omisumiso")

Japanese name: オオミスミソウ （大三角草）
Scientific name: Hepatica nobilis var. japonica f. magna

[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 10–15 cm tall, found on slopes in deciduous forests.
It has slender creeping rhizomes.
There are both basal leaves and stem leaves.
The basal leaves are triangular and 3-lobed, with entire margins.
The basal leaves have long petioles.
Flower stalks 10–15 cm tall extend from the axils of the basal leaves, each bearing 3 stalkless stem leaves in a whorl.
The flowers are borne singly at the tips of the flower stalks, with no petals; the petal-like colored sepals are conspicuous.
The sepals come in a variety of colors, such as white, pink, purple, pale blue and red.
The fruits are achenes, clustered in a shape like konpeito (sugar candy).

[History]
In the middle Edo period, flower variants collected in various regions became popular, but there are no records of breeding, and it is thought that only plants collected from the mountains were cultivated.
Full-scale production began in the late Showa period, mainly in Niigata.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed, by division, or by root cuttings.
Sow seeds fresh, immediately after harvest.
Do not divide the plants too finely; let them separate naturally.
From winter through the flowering period, keep it in a sunny place, and once the leaves have grown, in a place with bright shade.
Take care to keep it out of direct sunlight.
When planted in the ground, under deciduous trees is best.
It prefers soil rich in organic matter that is well drained and well aerated.
Because it grows on slopes, it dislikes excess humidity and stagnant water.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries.
For plants in the ground, watering is not particularly necessary unless sunny weather continues and the soil dries out.
From the time new shoots emerge until flower buds form, apply a nitrogen-rich liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks, and from bud formation until flowering, a phosphate-rich liquid fertilizer once every 2 weeks.
After flowering, place slow-release chemical fertilizer on the soil as a thank-you fertilizer, and in autumn–winter apply a liquid fertilizer with equal amounts of the three components once every 2 weeks.
Pests and diseases include gray mold, anthracnose, viral disease, southern blight, soft rot, slugs, spider mites, root-knot nematodes and aphids.

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