Bloomipedia
Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba)
Photo: Bernie Paquette via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized

Flower profile

Sharp-lobed hepatica

Hepatica acutiloba

Sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba) 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

Sharp-lobed hepatica is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 9 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in March–May.

27states where USDA records it
9Bloomipedia state lists include it
23,452U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Tennessee, Vermont, Wisconsin

Quick look

Hepatica acutiloba, the sharp-lobed hepatica, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae. It is sometimes considered part of the genus Anemone, as Anemone acutiloba, A. hepatica, or A. nobilis.

  • 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 27 states. USDA PLANTS
  • In Illinois, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • In Ohio, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,749 research-grade sightings of it in Illinois, ranking #57 among the 180 flowers on our Illinois list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,429 research-grade sightings of it in Ohio, ranking #71 among the 186 flowers on our Ohio list. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 2,023 research-grade sightings of it in Tennessee, ranking #49 among the 182 flowers on our Tennessee list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,573 records)
Bloom time in the 9 states whose Bloomipedia list includes it
StateTypePeak bloomSightings*
IllinoisNativeMarch–April2,749
OhioNativeMarch–April2,429
TennesseeNativeFebruary–April2,023
WisconsinNativeApril–May1,968
VermontNativeApril–May1,736
MinnesotaNativeApril–May1,434
IndianaNativeMarch–April1,264
KentuckyNativeMarch–April984
IowaNativeMarch–April668

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 8 of our 9 states.
See each state
Illinois
Not listed Not on Illinois List of Endangered and Threatened Flora (17 Ill. Adm. Code 1050), per the Endangered Species Protection Board's 2025 checklist. NatureServe: S3, vulnerable in Illinois. IL E&T checklist 2025
Ohio
Not listed Not on Ohio endangered and threatened plants (Ohio Adm. Code 1501:18-1-03, eff. Dec. 26, 2024). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Ohio. OAC 1501:18-1-03
Tennessee
Not listed Not on Tennessee endangered plants (Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-06-02-.04, Rare Plant Protection and Conservation Act). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Tennessee. TN rule 0400-06-02-.04
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
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
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
Kentucky
Not listed Not on Kentucky endangered and threatened plant lists (400 KAR 3:040, eff. 2026). NatureServe: S5, secure in Kentucky. 400 KAR 3:040
Iowa
Not listed Not on Iowa endangered, threatened and special concern plants (Iowa Admin. Code r. 571-77.3). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Iowa. IAC 571-77.3
Indiana
No list Indiana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the DNR keeps a rare plant list, but it isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Indiana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Indiana.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: AR (S1), CT (S2), ME (SX), MS (S1). (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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: NatureServe ranks it S3 in Illinois. NatureServe

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 sharp-lobed hepatica in 27 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Illinois counties with USDA records: Adams, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Cook, Crawford, Cumberland, De Witt, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Fulton, Gallatin, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Hardin, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jackson, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marshall, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Piatt, Pike, Pope, Putnam, Randolph, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermilion, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago.

Ohio counties with USDA records: Adams, Ashland, Ashtabula, Athens, Auglaize, Belmont, Brown, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Columbiana, Coshocton, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Darke, Defiance, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Gallia, Geauga, Greene, Guernsey, Hamilton, Hancock, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Holmes, Huron, Jefferson, Knox, Lake, Lawrence, Licking, Lorain, Lucas, Madison, Mahoning, Medina, Meigs, Miami, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Morrow, Noble, Ottawa, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Portage, Preble, Richland, Ross, Sandusky, Scioto, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Williams, Wyandot.

Tennessee counties with USDA records: Anderson, Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Carter, Cheatham, Claiborne, Clay, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, DeKalb, Dickson, Franklin, Giles, Grainger, Greene, Grundy, Haywood, Hickman, Houston, Jefferson, Knox, Lewis, Macon, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Overton, Perry, Polk, Putnam, Rhea, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Scott, Sevier, Smith, Stewart, Sullivan, Sumner, Union, Van Buren, Warren, White, Williamson.

Names, range and relatives

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

Other scientific names (synonyms in USDA PLANTS): Anemone acutiloba, Hepatica acuta.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 652 counties across 22 states; the most are in Illinois (70), Ohio (66), Kentucky (64).

Other Hepatica on Bloomipedia (1): Round-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 Illinois flowers

Red columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Red columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: April–June
False rue anemone (Enemion biternatum)

False rue anemone

Enemion biternatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in IL: March–May
Lesser celandine (Ficaria verna)

Lesser celandine

Ficaria verna

Introduced

🌼 Blooms in IL: April

Sources