About
A clump-forming rhizomatous perennial 25cm high, with evergreen leaves of three heart-shaped leaflets, each up to 4cm long, which emerge mottled with red and brown in spring, mature to intense green, and are flushed with purple in autumn, and many flowers with very small white sepals and spurless, bell-shaped, lemon-yellow petals, from spring to early summer; Epimedium leaves may be used for their nests by leaf-cutting bees.
About the genus
Epimedium are rhizomatous perennials with evergreen or deciduous, ternately or pinnately divided leaves, and open sprays of small, bowl-shaped flowers, often with prominent spurs, in mid to late spring
Growing conditions
SunlightPartial shade
Soil typeChalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained
AspectNorth-facing, West-facing, East-facing, South-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH7
Plant details
Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitClump forming
FoliageEvergreen
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesCottage and informal garden, City and courtyard gardens
Native toChina (Sichuan)
Care notes
CultivationGrow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds, thought it will tolerate drier conditions than some other Epimedium species; where frosts are prolonged or severe, spread an organic mulch such as leaf mould or composted bark to protect plants over winter
PruningNo pruning required, but cutting back in late winter or early spring, before flower spikes form, will improve appearance
PropagationPropagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as they are ripe in summer; by division in autumn or after flowering; or by root cuttings of rhizomes, kept under glass in winter, and planted out after all danger of frost has passed
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to vine weevil
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to mosaic virus diseases and fungal leaf spots