Japanese Hepatica have been selected and crossed by enthusiasts for a long time and recently folks in Europe have started to do the same with H. nobilis. Diversity certainly exists in H. acutiloba. The simple flowers are beautiful as they are, but I think there is more potential and many possibilities to create showier flowers for ornamental horticultural value if we concentrate on selecting and crossing some of the interesting colors and forms.
I have been selecting interesting forms of Hepatica acutiloba (sharp-lobed Hepatica), including multi-petaled forms and clones that do not produce pollen, and crossing them. The first generation has started to bloom recently with interesting results. The second generation will be coming next spring, and I am looking forward to seeing what kinds of flowers will bloom.