About

A carpeting perennial, to 45cm high, with ovate, toothed foliage, red-tinted when young, turning mid-green and finally red in autumn. Flowers are coppery-pink, with yellow inner petals, held on profusions of tall stems in spring.

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

SunlightFull sun, Partial shade
Soil typeChalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pHAcid, Neutral
Soil moistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained
AspectSouth-facing, North-facing, East-facing, West-facing
ExposureSheltered
UK hardinessH6

Plant details

Plant typeHerbaceous Perennial
HabitSpreading branched
FoliageDeciduous
Height0.1-0.5 metres
Spread0.1-0.5 metres
Time to full height2-5 years
Suggested usesRock garden

Care notes

CultivationGrow in fertile, moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil in partial shade; shelter from cold, dry winds. Can tolerate full sun and slightly drier soils
PruningCut back old foliage in late winter or early spring for the best display of new foliage and flowers
PropagationPropagate by division in autumn or after flowering
Pest resistanceMay be susceptible to vine weevil
Disease resistanceMay be susceptible to a virus