Meet Epimedium, a tough and deer-resistant shade garden perennial that’s often overlooked. It thrives in shady gardens, producing pink, white, yellow, red, burgundy, orange, or lavender starburst-shaped blooms in early spring. These dainty flowers create a cloud of color that draws you out to the garden even on chilly days, making them a great addition to any shade garden.
Epimedium is cold hardy in USDA zones 4 to 9 and can grow up to 24 inches tall and 36 inches wide. It’s also pest-resistant and drought tolerant once established, making it a low-maintenance option for gardeners. With its ability to thrive in a variety of conditions, epimedium is an excellent choice for beginning gardeners and collectors of unique plants alike.
Unique Beauty and Versatility
Karen Perkins, a retired owner of Garden Vision Epimediums, has cultivated this shade-loving perennial for decades. She says, “I love epimediums for their unique and delicate beauty, toughness, and versatility.” This underappreciated shade perennial has so much to offer, from its interesting foliage to its range of flower colors and shapes. Many varieties of epimedium end the season with a brilliant fall show, and some are even evergreen in mild winter areas, providing year-round interest in the garden.
Epimedium has interesting foliage in different seasons. In spring, it has small leaflets that accompany the flowers, while larger, mature leaves begin to fill in from the crown. By summer, the spring coloration fades, and plants form a mound of pest- and disease-resistant foliage that doesn’t require pruning to maintain a neat appearance throughout the growing season. Deciduous varieties lose their foliage after the first hard frost, but semi-evergreen and evergreen types stay colorful into early winter and spring, respectively.
Flower Colors and Shapes
Epimedium is most known for its spidery blooms with long nectar-filled spurs. However, there are also flowers with short spurs and large sepals, such as ‘Sulphureum‘, and a few, such as bell-shaped ‘Lemon Zest‘, with almost no spurs at all. The variety of flower shapes and sizes adds to the plant’s unique beauty and versatility, making it a great choice for gardeners looking to add some visual interest to their shade gardens.
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There are lots of flower colors and even bicolor blooms. ‘Flame Thrower‘ combines raspberry pink and pale yellow, while ‘Purple Prince‘ is deep purple with white spur tips. Other varieties, such as ‘Arctic Wings‘, have solid white flowers, adding to the range of colors available. With new varieties coming to the market every year, there’s likely to be a wider selection than ever at local garden centers, although mail-order nurseries still offer a broader range of options.
Growing Epimedium
Epimedium is easy to grow and can thrive in a variety of conditions. It prefers shady gardens and can tolerate drought once established, making it a great choice for gardeners with shady areas. Plant breeders have been working to develop eye-catching colors and larger, longer-lasting blooms that sit high above the foliage, adding to the plant’s appeal. Some popular varieties include ‘Pink Champagne‘.
For those looking to add epimedium to their garden, there are several mail-order nurseries that offer a wide selection of varieties. These nurseries provide a great resource for gardeners looking to explore the many varieties of epimedium available. With its unique beauty, toughness, and versatility, epimedium is a great addition to any shade garden, and its relatively low maintenance requirements make it a great choice for gardeners of all levels.
Older varieties and species of epimedium tend to have small blooms that sit below the leaves, where they’re harder to see. However, in recent years, plant breeders have been working to develop eye-catching colors and larger, longer-lasting blooms that sit high above the foliage. This has led to the creation of many new and exciting varieties, which offer a range of colors and shapes to choose from. With so many options available, gardeners can select the perfect variety of epimedium to suit their taste and add some unique beauty to their shade garden.
Epimedium may not be as widely known as other shade perennials, but it deserves more attention. With its unique beauty, toughness, and versatility, it’s a great addition to any shade garden. Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a seasoned collector of unique plants, epimedium is definitely worth considering. Its ability to thrive in shady conditions, tolerate drought, and resist pests and diseases makes it a great choice for gardeners looking for a low-maintenance option. So why not give epimedium a try and discover the beauty and versatility it has to offer?
