Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[WimB]

Mark: I've called her now and she had explained it wrongly: it is certainly: rhizomatosum x davidii.

[annew]

Wim, you are very pretty!

[WimB]

Wim, you are very pretty!

   Thanks

[Lesley Cox]

Well done Wim, such a lovely plant to have named for you. 

[TheOnionMan]

Mark: I've called her now and she had explained it wrongly: it is certainly: rhizomatosum x davidii.

Thanks for the follow-up Wim, I thought the plant looked rather davidii-esque   Does the hybrid show any spreading rhizomatous tendencies?  I have often wondered when a spreading species gets together with a small clumping species, just how variable is the growth pattern.  Does the new foliage get any strong red/yellow mottling?  The reason I ask, I've had a few self-sown seedlings of rhizomatosum, and so far all show the strong red/yellow mottling.  Your plant looks closer to davidii, so maybe it is the other way around; davidii x rhizomatosum?

[WimB]

Mark: I've called her now and she had explained it wrongly: it is certainly: rhizomatosum x davidii.

Thanks for the follow-up Wim, I thought the plant looked rather davidii-esque   Does the hybrid show any spreading rhizomatous tendencies?  I have often wondered when a spreading species gets together with a small clumping species, just how variable is the growth pattern.  Does the new foliage get any strong red/yellow mottling?  The reason I ask, I've had a few self-sown seedlings of rhizomatosum, and so far all show the strong red/yellow mottling.  Your plant looks closer to davidii, so maybe it is the other way around; davidii x rhizomatosum?

Mark,

he is rhizomatous so he spreads more than E. davidii although not as vigorous as E. rhizomatosum. The hybrid is easier to grow and to propagate than E. davidii.
The flower-petals are not as broadly rounded as E. davidii and they are longer, the sepals are a good dark red and the spurs are long and they all turn almost straight up after a while.
The spines on the leaflet margins and the over all form of the leaf is a lot more like E. rhizomatosum than like E. davidii.

It might be davidii x rhizomatosum indeed.

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,

he is rhizomatous so he spreads more than E. davidii although not as vigorous as E. rhizomatosum. The hybrid is easier to grow and to propagate than E. davidii.
The flower-petals are not as broadly rounded as E. davidii and they are longer, the sepals are a good dark red and the spurs are long and they all turn almost straight up after a while.
The spines on the leaflet margins and the over all form of the leaf is a lot more like E. rhizomatosum than like E. davidii.

It might be davidii x rhizomatosum indeed.

Wim, thanks for for the details, having a davidii-like hybrid plant that actually spreads should be a good attribute, as the species is too slow a grower, that's what I was hoping to hear. I was pursuing this info, as I'm interested in details about such crosses, as I'm now actively attempting a whole regimen of Epi hybridization.  By the way, the leaves on E. davidii "Wolong Selections", one that Darrell Probst introduced, has very spiny leaf margins, although the leaf shape is a rather narrow shield shape.... see my recent Epimedium posting... it's a cutie. 

I believe your hybrid with its full boxy yellow flowers and red sepals, and fine spine-edged leaflets, will be a popular one!  When will it be available in the USA?

[WimB]

Mark,

he is rhizomatous so he spreads more than E. davidii although not as vigorous as E. rhizomatosum. The hybrid is easier to grow and to propagate than E. davidii.
The flower-petals are not as broadly rounded as E. davidii and they are longer, the sepals are a good dark red and the spurs are long and they all turn almost straight up after a while.
The spines on the leaflet margins and the over all form of the leaf is a lot more like E. rhizomatosum than like E. davidii.

It might be davidii x rhizomatosum indeed.

Wim, thanks for for the details, having a davidii-like hybrid plant that actually spreads should be a good attribute, as the species is too slow a grower, that's what I was hoping to hear. I was pursuing this info, as I'm interested in details about such crosses, as I'm now actively attempting a whole regimen of Epi hybridization.  By the way, the leaves on E. davidii "Wolong Selections", one that Darrell Probst introduced, has very spiny leaf margins, although the leaf shape is a rather narrow shield shape.... see my recent Epimedium posting... it's a cutie. 

I believe your hybrid with its full boxy yellow flowers and red sepals, and fine spine-edged leaflets, will be a popular one!  When will it be available in the USA?

Mark,

you're welcome. I've seen Wolong in real life too and the leaves are smaller indeed. It's a very nice form.

In trial, Epimedium 'W.B.' gave, after planting a full P9 pot out in the field, 50 good divisions after 2 years; so it's a good grower.

Availibility is limited for the moment since it's a small nursery which propagates it... so it might take some time (more like forever, I guess) before they leave Europe    I would send you one if it wasn't so hard to export plants to the US.

Be sure to show the results of your hybridization here too. I'm really interested... are there particular hybrids you're trying to create?

Wim

[Hans J]

here is another pic from my 'poor' Epimedium collection :

Epimedium grandiflora 'Sunset'

[TheOnionMan]

here is another pic from my 'poor' Epimedium collection :

Epimedium grandiflora 'Sunset'

Hans, what can you tell us about E. grandiflorum 'Sunset', I can't find any reference to a cultivar of grandiflorum by that name.  A google search does find a couple lists of epimediums with just Epimedium 'Sunset', but without any description of the plant or species attribution.  The flowers in your photo look like one of the similar "red" flowered grandiflorums, such 'Red Queen' (that I recenly posted above), 'Orion', or 'Yubae (synonyms 'Crimson', 'Crimson Beauty', 'Rose Queen').

[TheOnionMan]

Many will be familiar with the tried and true E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum', or the somewhat less common 'Neosulphureum', both indispensible for the woodland garden.  But there are a couple more recent versicolor cultivars, 'Strawberry Blush' introduced by Darrell Probst in 2004, and 'Cherry Tart', a hybrid seedling found a garden in Virginia and introduced by Darrell in 1999.  Also featured in this post is a recent E. x youngianum cultivar named 'Royal Flush', yet another Darrell Probst introduction (2004).

1.  E. x versicolor 'Strawberry Blush' -  The first photo shows how the flowers are displayed in a nodding disposition, which is too bad because it is the front face of the flowers that reveal their charm.  The sepal color is described as "antique pink", and appear pinkish in a color photograph in the Garden Vision Epimediums catalog.  However, as I've grown it, the back of the ample sepals are a pale bisque yellow color with only a faint pink tinge.

2.  Lifting up the flowers shows the sepals to be veined pink on the inside, sporting a large yellow cup and pink spurs, delightful, if only the flowers would hold themselves up.

3-4 Two low-angle views where the bright yellow cups can be seen.  In both photos, the lilac flowers are E. x youngianum 'Royal Flush'.

5   Another view of both epimediums from above, showing the late-to-expand leaves on 'Strawberry Blush' which are bronze-toned. This cultivar is a strong grower.

6-7 E. x versicolor 'Cherry Tart' - the better of the two, with more upright panicles of striking pink flowers, individual flowers held in tilted semi-nodding disposition, revealing hot pink spurs and a cup that shades to a bright yellow rim.  The inside of the sepals are finely veined with deeper pink.  So far, seems to be a slower grower than 'Strawberry Blush'.

8   E. x youngianum 'Royal Flush' - sizzling HOT spring foliage color!

9   E. x youngianum 'Royal Flush' (top) showing the dark copper foliage and classic form lilac bloom, with E. grandiflorum 'White Queen' in front.

10  E. x youngianum 'Royal Flush' - profile file.  I consider this to be among the finest of youngianum types, making a large full mound of beautiful heart-shaped leaves, with elegant flowers well presented just above the foliage.  It is reminscent of E. grandiforum var. violaceum 'Bronze Maiden', which can be seen in the upper left corner.

[Hans J]

here is another pic from my 'poor' Epimedium collection :

Epimedium grandiflora 'Sunset'

Hans, what can you tell us about E. grandiflorum 'Sunset', I can't find any reference to a cultivar of grandiflorum by that name.  A google search does find a couple lists of epimediums with just Epimedium 'Sunset', but without any description of the plant or species attribution.  The flowers in your photo look like one of the similar "red" flowered grandiflorums, such 'Red Queen' (that I recenly posted above), 'Orion', or 'Yubae (synonyms 'Crimson', 'Crimson Beauty', 'Rose Queen').

Mark ,

this cultivar is listet in the book of Stearn...
there is written :
"Darrell Probst regards this nearly identical to 'Rose Queen' and is in fact probably the same clone"

I hope this you a bit
Hans

[TheOnionMan]

here is another pic from my 'poor' Epimedium collection :

Epimedium grandiflora 'Sunset'

Hans, what can you tell us about E. grandiflorum 'Sunset', I can't find any reference to a cultivar of grandiflorum by that name.  A google search does find a couple lists of epimediums with just Epimedium 'Sunset', but without any description of the plant or species attribution.  The flowers in your photo look like one of the similar "red" flowered grandiflorums, such 'Red Queen' (that I recenly posted above), 'Orion', or 'Yubae (synonyms 'Crimson', 'Crimson Beauty', 'Rose Queen').

Mark ,

this cultivar is listet in the book of Stearn...
there is written :
"Darrell Probst regards this nearly identical to 'Rose Queen' and is in fact probably the ame clone"

I hope this you a bit
Hans

Ah, thanks Hans.  Darrell Probst has gone to considerable lengths to straighten out the name confusion, and he regards 'Rose Queen' to be E. grandiflorum 'Yubae'.  There's more to the story, but it gets confusing. 

E. grandiflorum 'Yubae' has white spur tips, as in your photo.  My plant is in flower, so I'll try and get a closeup view of the flowers and post here.

[TheOnionMan]

I would send you one if it wasn't so hard to export plants to the US.

I have both species, I can try recreating the hybrid

Be sure to show the results of your hybridization here too. I'm really interested... are there particular hybrids you're trying to create?

Wim

Wim, I do indeed have definite goals.  Broadly speaking, hybrids with flowers well presented above the foliage and long season of bloom (brevicornu is prime candidate), hybrids with true flower-power, those with richly colored foliage (many of the sempervirens types, versicolor types, grandiflorums with exceptional foliage like Dark Beauty, many of the asian species), everblooming hybrids, reliably evergreen hybrids (some sempervirens forms again), and rich or unusual flower colors, many of which are already coming onto the scene.  I have very specific goals, within each of those broad ideas.

[WimB]

One which is flowering here now:

E. grandiflorum var. higoense 'Saturn'