One of the joys of having a garden in the shade is to be able to grow a variety of epimediums. The perfect choice for a woodland area, their fragile beauty belies the fact that they are tremendously tough, long lasting perennials.
Epimedium Brachyrrhizum 'Elfin Magic' courtesy Arrowhead Alpines
They have incredible beauty of their own,” says Sigrid Thomas, who edited and published the Woodland Garden newsletter for 8 years in Maryland. “Epimediums are whimsical; they tremble in the air because of their leaf and flower structure. When I take my daily garden tour they never disappoint me and tremble in the slightest of air movement.”
Like columbines (Aquilegia spp.), most epimediums bloom in April and May with spurs that float high above the foliage on wiry stems, thus creating the opened parachute look. They seem to be suspended in mid-air, as if they were inches away from landing on the leaves below. Flower color ranges from white, pink, purple, rose, yellow, and orange to bicolor combinations.
Athough all epimediums have green leaves in the summer, most have unusual colorings or markings on the new leaves in the spring and then again in the fall when temperatures cool down during the shortened days.
“In the spring, the foliage colors can be hot pink, which you could plant next to a blue leafed hosta,” said Darrell Probst, the American expert on epimediums and owner of Garden Vision, a Massachusetts mail order nursery. For example, E. x ‘Lilac Cascade’ has violet and white flowers, but also rose and pink leaves in the spring that later turn green with purple/red margins. A few weeks later, a second flush of raspberry pink leaves appear, lasting for several weeks before turning green. E. grandiflorum ‘Lavender Lady’ has lavender flowers with white spur tips and dark red leaves fading into a green netted center in the spring. E. grandiflorum ‘Queen Esta’ has rose colored flowers and purple new foliage, which turn green a few weeks later. A taller second flush of purple leaves appears, creating many weeks of color.
Probably the most popular choice at Darrell’s nursery, however, is E. grandiflorum var. higoense ‘Bandit,’ famous for its three flushes of colored leaves.
“When we have our Open Days in the spring everyone loves ‘Bandit’—everyone has to have it.”In addition to ‘Bandit’s’ creamy white flowers, the new leaves are green with dark, black margins, similar to a raccoon’s eye. This marking lasts for several weeks and then the leaves turn solid green. There is a second flush of leaves with bandit markings that grow higher than the first level of leaves. These last for three weeks before becoming completely green. A third flush of leaves appears—the bandit markings reach even higher than the current growth and last for another three weeks before becoming completely green. The ultimate effect is color from April through June.
For great fall color, E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum ‘Thunderbolt’ can’t be beat. Spring provides golden yellow flowers while autumn turns the leaves black and purple with a thunderbolt pattern of green veins. E. x ‘Black Sea’ has yellow flowers in the spring and almost completely black leaves in the fall.
Epimediums can also be classified as deciduous (lose their leaves in the fall) or evergreen (retain their leaves, especially in mild winters). Evergreen, however, does not mean that all of them will stay green but that they will provide winter interest by retaining leaves that may be green or a combination of red/bronze/ purple/black. Although spring’s new foliage will cover up the old, some gardeners prefer to cut the old leaves in March to prepare for the new foliage. “You don’t have to cut the evergreen ones back but you won’t be able to see the flowers. They should be cut back by mid to late March, depending upon the year. If you wait too long you will injure the not-yet-emerged flowers and leaves,” recommends Brenda Skarphol, curatorial horticulturist at Green Spring Gardens in Virginia.
Probably the most commonly available species at local nurseries is the deciduous Epimedium grandiflorum, which grows to 1 to 11/2 feet tall and a foot across. Its 2-3 inch, heart shaped leaves have a red cast in the spring, later turning green by summer, and then turning red again in the fall. There are many cultivars available such as: ‘Lilafee’ or ‘Lilac Fairy’ (flowers are bicolor purple/white, new foliage is glossy purple), ‘Orion’ (up to 18 inches tall with large, deep rose red flowers), ‘White Queen’ (large white flowers), and ‘Tama No Genpei’ (lots of bicolored lavender and white flowers with purple tinted new spring foliage).
Epimedium Diphyllum Nanumcourtesy Arrowhead Alpines
Another deciduous type is E. x youngianum, a hybrid between E. grandiflorum and E. diphyllum. There are several cultivars: ‘Niveum’ has white flowers and purple tinted leaves in the spring and fall; ‘Purple Heart’ has pink/lavender with white flowers, green purple new foliage that deepens to black purple and dark purple autumn leaves; and ‘Roseum’ has rose-colored flowers and a second flush of leaves in the spring.
E. x rubrum, a hybrid between E. alpinum and E. grandiflorum, is also deciduous with red and yellow blossoms and cherry red leaves in the spring and fall. ‘Sweetheart’ has larger, more rounded leaflets that are darker green with a thin red rim in the spring.
Of the evergreen varieties, E. x versicolor has yellow flowers and bronze red new foliage. ‘Sulphureum’ has soft yellow flowers, ‘Neosulphureum,’ has paler yellow flowers, and ‘Cherry Tart’ has large cherry red and yellow flowers with dark purple fall leaves. E. x perralchicum ‘Fröhnleiten’ has yellow flowers and bronze/red spring and fall leaves. E. sempervirens ‘Violet Queen’ has dark violet flowers and cherry red new foliage. ‘Candy Hearts’ has silver pink flowers and rosy pink new leaves that change to green with a rose border. ‘Cherry Hearts’ has white flowers with cherry red new foliage that later change into green with a cherry edge.
Epimediums are low maintenance—dividing and fertilizing are not necessary–and they are exceptionally pest and disease resistant. “Most of them have no minuses,” says Brenda.“They are the toughest perennial but delicate looking,” agrees Darrell, who has discovered long forgotten specimens thriving in abandoned gardens. “They are a long term investment, they will outlast you.”
The majority of the epimediums at Green Spring Gardens are in an area shaded by hardwoods and pine trees. “Moist soil and light to partial shade is best. Only some are extremely drought tolerant. We never fertilize them and we water like any average perennial,” says Brenda.
“My epimediums grow in deep, deep shade and in very dry conditions,” says Sigrid. “I hardly ever water them during dry spells like we had in a previous summer.” Their ability to tolerate dry conditions once established makes them ideal plants to grow under trees, where they can compete successfully with tree roots for moisture. As groundcovers, they blend well with spring bulbs, ferns, and hostas. “They look wonderful among hostas as a contrast. Hostas have big and feisty leaves while epimediums are dainty, fragile, and whimsical,” said Sigrid. “I like to see them next to a bold-leafed hosta or even a Rohdea japonica.”
Epimediums are exceptionally wonderful plants for shade gardens, under the canopies of trees, and for providing delicate contrasts to large-leafed perennials. They are low maintenance, long lived, and provide an interesting show of color throughout the year. Best of all, there is an ever-growing range of choices, especially through mail order nurseries.
Peggy Riccio is a Contributing Editor to ChesapeakeHome.
Contacts:
Garden Vision: home.earthlink.net/~darrellpro or 978-928-4808
Green Spring Gardens: fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/gsgp
Sources For Epimediums:
Plant Delights Nursery, Inc. in Raleigh, North Carolina: plantdelights.com or 919-772-4794
Arrowhead Alpines in Fowlerville, Michigan: arrowhead-alpines.com or 517-223-3581
Naylor Creek Nursery in Chimacum, Washington: naylorcreek.com or 360-732-4983
Lazy S Farm in Barboursville, Virginia: lazyssfarm.com
Collector’s Nursery in Battle Ground, Washington: collectorsnursery.com
