Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[ranunculus]

I agree Helen ... avatar of the year (and it's only February)!

[TheOnionMan]

Another dark-leaf beauty, colorful aspects of Epimedium grandiflorum var. violaceum 'Bronze Maiden'.

This is a 1999 introduction by Darrell Probst, another of those dark-leaf selections that goes through a dramatic cameleon-like transformation of foliage color.  The mahogany brown-red foliage is so shiny that it can look like polished leather.  It is a solid clumper with showy sprays of lavender flowers above the neat foliage.  By June the leaves turn green, but new foliage in the second flush of foliage and sporadic new leaves all summer, are richly red-tinged.  Outstanding!

[Ragged Robin]

Mark,'living a pipe dream' strikes a real chord and is so far my favourite of your avatars although it was 'Inn-cog-knee-toe' - a smile a day!

Likewise, every time you show an Epimedim I think, that's my favourite, no that's my favourite.....but they all have different characteristics to admire and I love the changing foliage colours throughout the year when one doesn't expect or get second or third flush fireworks from other plants 

[TheOnionMan]

Epimedium x sasakii (hybrids between E. sempervirens and  E. x setosum)

A modest species to be sure, but still attractive in a demure way.  Slow growing, attractive colored foliage in spring, sprays of small pale flowers. This one is now a bittersweet memory for me, as Sasaki Associates is the name of the company I was recently laid off from after 20+ years service (and I didn't spend my days making avatars, I swear it!).

I grow two forms offered by Garden Vision Epimediums, and his 2001 introduction E. x sasakii 'Melody', a more robust showy hybrid.  These have evergreen foliage, which can be seen in the last photo.

[fleurbleue]

Many species and cultivars I didn't know Mark  Thanks again

[TheOnionMan]

Just three miscellaneous grandiflorums, E. grandiflorum 'Saxton's Purple', a fairly unique color, E. grandiflorum 'Princess Susan', a 1999 Darrell Probst introduction with showy bi-colored flowers of clean white and bright rose, and E. grandiflorum var. violaceum with lively flowers and contrasting dark color spring foliage.

[Lesley Cox]

More real beauties. I like 'Princess Susan' very much and wish she were here as she'd make a lovely gift to a loyal friend, Susan M (currently sipping (or sloshing back) wine in Hawkes Bay).

I see that you are peeling too Mark

[TheOnionMan]

More real beauties. I like 'Princess Susan' very much and wish she were here as she'd make a lovely gift to a loyal friend, Susan M (currently sipping (or sloshing back) wine in Hawkes Bay).

I see that you are peeling too Mark

Yes, the peeling last several days, and is getting worse now but soon it will be better.  I am currently sipping (sloshing back) some cheapo unenployment-grade wine, but on Valentine's Day, Feb, 14th my wife and I shall inbibe a fine 2004 Australian 2004 GSM $22 bottle.  Then back to the cheaper stuff and unrestrained avatar indulgence, haha    Oh yeah, almost forgot... hurrah Epimediums!   

[TheOnionMan]

Epimediums are starting to wake up, and it means time for serious cleanup.  If the old stems and foliage are not cut back, they can really detract from their appearance when flowering until the fresh foliage "overcomes" the remnants of the previous year. Trying to trim back old foliage and stems when the new fresh shoots are intertwined through it all, becomes very difficult and time-consuming hand surgery, so better to shear them in late winter/early spring.  But there's a fine balance, cut the old "protective" growth too soon, the tender emerging shoots can be prone to damage from hard frosts.

Here are two photos of the evergreen Epimedium x 'Black Seas', frothing with buds on coiled fuzzy red stems.  This year I determined that the evergreen foliage was not in sufficiently good shape to leave on, so I cut them off weeks ago.

[ranunculus]

Oh my, Mark ... they are pretty just like that.  A close-up perhaps for the (rather neglected lately) 'arty' section?  

[gote]

cut the old "protective" growth too soon, the tender emerging shoots can be prone to damage from hard frosts.

It is very tempting to cut back so how high is the risk do you think? I always cut back rubrum since it flowers below leaf anyway.
By the way, i think your way of posting many pictures is very helpful when it comes to identifying plants.
Princess Susan is a real gem I think
Göte

[mark smyth]

I was to move my E. grandiflorum nana but cant get it lifted. I bent one cheap fork, broke a plastic trowel. Can I cut it in situ with a bread knife?

[Maggi Young]

I was to move my E. grandiflorum nana but cant get it lifted. I bent one cheap fork, broke a plastic trowel. Can I cut it in situ with a bread knife?

It was after I broke two longhandled border forks trying to split a clump, that I gave up  growing Hostas! 

[TheOnionMan]

I was to move my E. grandiflorum nana but cant get it lifted. I bent one cheap fork, broke a plastic trowel. Can I cut it in situ with a bread knife?

Not unless you're making croutons   Seriously though, there's nothing tougher than a well established clump of Epimedium, that was one reason why, when I was working and had more $$ to spend, I would often buy some of the same epimediums that I already have because I just hate to dig these things up. The running or strongly rhizomatous Epimedium species are not too bad, it is the dense clumping species that are more challenging.

I use a heavy duty metal trowel, one that is narrow and has a pointed end, to slice into the edge of a clump in an attempt to extract small rooted pieces without digging up the whole plant.  Probably the best way, is to dig the whole thing up using a heavy duty spade... I do this when it's been dry for a couple days, to make it easier to knock off some soil and make determinations where to cut.  Then I use a sharpened "edger", a rectangular flat metal blade attached to a long wooden handle (used to cut into sod for a clean edge), where the root ball can be placed on it's side, place the edger blade to align where you want to cut, then use the full force of one's weight to kick the edger down into the rhizome mass.  There is always some collateral damage (rhizome pieces without root), but once the main root mass gets broken down, then it's possible to use a sharp knife or metal trowel to pry apart some smaller pieces.  Typically Epimediums are forgiving after such treatment, after replanting and kept moist, they seem to enjoy their youngling ability to spread out again into a bigger clump.  I have also potted up such divisions in flats to keep a closer eye on watering, but never leave them in pots for very long and certainly not over winter, they prefer being in the ground.

[gote]

I use an axe when I divide Agapanthus I assume it would do for Epimediums and Hostas as well. 
Göte