Flower profile

Round-lobed hepatica

Hepatica americana

Round-lobed hepatica (Hepatica americana) is a flowering plant in the Ranunculaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–May across the U.S.

Native in the lower 48

Round-lobed hepatica is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 10 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

30states where USDA records it

10Bloomipedia state lists include it

24,061U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin

Quick look

Anemone hepatica, the common hepatica, liverwort, liverleaf, kidneywort, or pennywort, is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native to woodland in temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. This herbaceous perennial grows from a rhizome.
From Wikipedia's article Anemone hepatica, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 30 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In Michigan, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–May. ^iNaturalist
In Virginia, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,495 research-grade sightings of it in Michigan, ranking #66 among the 172 flowers on our Michigan list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,283 research-grade sightings of it in Virginia, ranking #75 among the 189 flowers on our Virginia list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 2,261 research-grade sightings of it in North Carolina, ranking #76 among the 192 flowers on our North Carolina list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,578 records)

Bloom time in the 10 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
Michigan	Native	April–May	2,495
Virginia	Native	February–April	2,283
North Carolina	Native	February–March	2,261
Wisconsin	Native	April–May	2,103
Pennsylvania	Native	March–April	2,058
Minnesota	Native	April–May	1,785
Maryland	Native	March–April	1,503
Vermont	Native	April–May	1,220
Connecticut	Native	few records (34)	479
New Hampshire	Native	few records (26)	354

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA)

Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}

NatureServe global

G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe

State rare plant lists

Not listed Not on the official rare plant list in 10 of our 10 states.

See each state

Michigan: Not listed Not on Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Michigan. ^{R 299.1028}
Virginia: Not listed Not on Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10). NatureServe: S5, secure in Virginia. ^2VAC5-320-10
North Carolina: Not listed Not on North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301). NatureServe: S5, secure in North Carolina. ^{02 NCAC 48F .0301}
Wisconsin: Not listed Not on Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Wisconsin. ^{NR 27.03}
Pennsylvania: Not listed Not on Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023). NatureServe: S5, secure in Pennsylvania. ^{17 Pa. Code Ch. 45}
Minnesota: Not listed Not on Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Minnesota. ^{Minn. R. 6134.0300}
Maryland: Not listed Not on Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Maryland. ^{COMAR 08.03.08}
Vermont: Not listed Not on Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022). NatureServe: S5, secure in Vermont. ^{Vermont E&T list}
Connecticut: Not listed Not on Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Connecticut. ^{CT E/T/SC list}
New Hampshire: Not listed Not on New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in New Hampshire. ^{NH Ncr 312}

Rare elsewhere

Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: FL (S2), RI (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no edibility or poison notes on its page), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people. ^{NC State Extension}

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list, and NC State Extension doesn't flag it for pets.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records round-lobed hepatica in 30 states plus Washington, D.C.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin; District of Columbia.

Michigan counties with USDA records: Alger, Allegan, Baraga, Barry, Bay, Benzie, Berrien, Calhoun, Cass, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Clinton, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Genesee, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Houghton, Ingham, Ionia, Iosco, Iron, Isabella, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Kent, Keweenaw, Lake, Lapeer, Leelanau, Livingston, Mackinac, Macomb, Manistee, Marquette, Mason, Mecosta, Menominee, Midland, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Oakland, Oceana, Ogemaw, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Ottawa, Roscommon, Saginaw, Schoolcraft, Shiawassee, St. Clair, St. Joseph, Van Buren, Washtenaw, Wayne.

Virginia counties with USDA records: Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Brunswick, Buchanan, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Chesterfield, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dickenson, Dinwiddie, Fairfax, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Franklin, Frederick, Giles, Gloucester, Goochland, Grayson, Greene, Greensville, Halifax, Hanover, Henrico, Henry, Highland, James City, King George, King William, King and Queen, Lancaster, Lee, Loudoun, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Mecklenburg, Middlesex, Montgomery, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Prince William, Rappahannock, Richmond, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Russell, Scott, Shenandoah, Smyth, Southampton, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Tazewell, Virginia Beach , Warren, Washington, Westmoreland, Wise, Wythe, York.

North Carolina counties with USDA records: Alamance, Alexander, Anson, Bladen, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Catawba, Chatham, Cumberland, Davidson, Davie, Durham, Forsyth, Gaston, Granville, Guilford, Harnett, Hertford, Iredell, Jackson, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lincoln, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, Northampton, Orange, Randolph, Richmond, Rockingham, Rowan, Rutherford, Stanly, Stokes, Surry, Vance, Wake.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native.

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Anemone americana, Anemone hepatica, Hepatica hepatica.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 639 counties across 27 states; the most are in Virginia (85), Pennsylvania (63), Michigan (62).

Other Hepatica on Bloomipedia (1): Sharp-lobed hepatica.

More from the Ranunculaceae family (48 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Lesser celandine, Rue anemone, Red columbine, Wood anemone, Western columbine, Marsh marigold, White baneberry, Red baneberry.

More Michigan flowers

Marsh marigold

Caltha palustris

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: April–June

Red columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: May–June

White baneberry

Actaea pachypoda

Native

🌼 Blooms in MI: May–June

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HENOO.
iNaturalist, Hepatica americana: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Anemone hepatica (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
State rare and invasive plant lists (20):
Show all 20 state lists
- Michigan: Michigan endangered and threatened plants (Mich. Admin. Code R 299.1028, eff. March 20, 2023).
- Michigan: Michigan prohibited and restricted species (NREPA Part 413 and the 2026 Invasive Species Order), as listed by Michigan's Invasive Species Program.
- Virginia: Virginia endangered and threatened plant and insect species (2VAC5-320-10).
- Virginia: Virginia noxious weeds (2VAC5-317-20, Tier 1, 2 and 3).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Protected Plant Species List (02 NCAC 48F .0301).
- North Carolina: North Carolina Noxious Weed List (02 NCAC 48A .1702) (the list names any non-native Lythrum; we apply it to purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), which isn't native).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin endangered and threatened species list (Wis. Admin. Code NR 27.03).
- Wisconsin: Wisconsin invasive species rule (Wis. Admin. Code NR 40.04 prohibited, NR 40.05 restricted).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania classified native plants (17 Pa. Code Ch. 45, Subchapter B, as amended 2023).
- Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Noxious Weed List (3 Pa.C.S. § 1519, PA Dept. of Agriculture) (PDA's page spells garlic mustard “Allaria petiolata”; we match it as Alliaria petiolata).
- Minnesota: Minnesota endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Minn. R. 6134.0300).
- Minnesota: Minnesota Noxious Weed List (Minn. Stat. § 18.79; Minnesota Department of Agriculture, updated January 2026).
- Maryland: Maryland threatened and endangered plants (COMAR 08.03.08.05, .06 and .08).
- Maryland: Maryland Prohibited Invasive Plant List (COMAR 15.06.04.06; MDA, updated July 2026).
- Vermont: Endangered and Threatened Plants of Vermont (10 V.S.A. chap. 123; list of Feb 10, 2022).
- Vermont: Vermont Quarantine List, Regulated Introduced Plant Species Rule (eff. June 16, 2026).
- Connecticut: Connecticut Endangered, Threatened and Special Concern Plants (RCSA 26-306; 2015 list).
- Connecticut: Connecticut prohibited invasive plants (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 22a-381d).
- New Hampshire: New Hampshire Official Rare Plants List (Ncr 312, eff. Jan 1, 2020).
- New Hampshire: NH Prohibited Invasive Species List (Agr 3800, Table 3800.1).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Hepatica americana (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: NC State Extension.
Photo: Michael Nerrie via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.