Hepatica nobilis

A tiny, early-spring perennial with kidney-shaped, often silvery-marbled leaves and delicate purple-blue flowers, perfect for shady spots under deciduous shrubs, in rock gardens, or alpine troughs.

Native to the Russian Far East, China, Korea, and Japan. A slow-growing herbaceous perennial to 10cm, with kidney-shaped, three-lobed leaves, often with silvery marbling above, and solitary violet (not these I am afraid) or purple/blue flowers with conspicuous white stamens appearing in early spring. These plants came from overseas seed and have large leaves like the last image.

In Japan, they are known as yukiwariso – literally ‘the flower that breaks through the snow’.

They are excellent for planting under deciduous shrubs and trees, or in a rock garden, alpine trough or container, John Massey has them as kokedama! But they need shade in late spring once flowering has finished. They doo need sun in winter and and early spring. Take care not to plant them with neighbours that will overcrowd them.

John Massey in the Uk and Tomo Mabuchi in Japan are the experts and their book is a huge work! Eat your heart out with the variation in flowers (and leaves) he has amassed for H. nobilis! This is one summary article form The English Garden Magaine, but most species are sadly not available here.  https://www.theenglishgarden.co.uk/plants/flowers/how-to-grow-hepaticas/

The map shows the presumed distribution of European and Asiatic species. H. nobilis has really got around. yet each population doesn't seem to share much genetic variation. In Bavarian forest understories it is on calcerous soils so in the wild they have specific  habitat requirements. So it likes calcium-rich, neutral to slightly alkaline soils.  

Leading (and last) image: From John Massey's garden

Photo: Per Ola Wiberg from Eker�, Sweden, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

More leaves and flowers: BerndH

White, my own image.