Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[TheOnionMan]

Continuing series - Part 1: Garden Vision Epimediums nursery in Hubbardston, Massachusetts, USA - Darrell Probst Epi-Jedi Master, Karen Perkins Owner/Proprietor/Horticulturalist.

Garden Vision Epimediums is not a retail nursery in the typical sense, it is a private naturalistic horticultural laboratory carved out of acres of rough and tumble forested hillside in Central Massachusetts, with areas cleared for sunlight and nursery beds. Walking down from a small shaded gravel parking lot to the nursery beds, one gets a sense of traversing frontier logging roads leading deep into the woods.  On the roadside cuts with high and steep enbankments, there can be found occasional choice woodland plants and Epimediums, improbably poked into the bare-earth enbankment walls. Eventually one reaches a gently sloped area, with rows upon rows of high mounded plantings with masses of Epimediums.

The day I visited was during one of two annual Open Nursery Weekends, where visitors can pick up their orders, browse tables of Epimediums and other woodlanders for sale, and the best part, meander through the nursery beds packed full of Epimedium species and cultivars, and hybrid trial beds.

A bit about my photographs. I took several hundred photos, but had to cope with brilliant sunlight, not my preferred lighting condition to capture the delicate beauty of epimediums, as well as strong winds challenging my efforts to get focused images.  I was travelling with a friend, and was scheduled to visit another garden in central Massachusetts that day, time was limited, so I just shot photos using my daughter's entry-level Nikon Coolpix camera as best I could under the conditions. I may go back on an overcast or partly cloudy day and do another photoshoot. 

1-3  Of the most frequent epimediums in the nursery is Epimedium sp. nov .  On a 6' (2 meter) high nearly vertical bare-earth enbankment approaching the nursery beds, I spotted an Epimedium with enormous flowers. Another E. sp. nov!  Comparing the flowers to the size of my fingers, I put the width of a single flower at 5-6 cm across!  It is an evergreen species, with finely spine-edged heart-shaped leaves, the new foliage bright red mottled, and gorgeous big spider flowers of pastel pinkish white sepals, and purple petals shading to an orange-rimmed cup. Wow!

4-5  The other most commonly found epimediums among the nursery rows, is "Epimedium hybrid under trial".  Shown is a nice one with lightly mottled brown-tinged foliage and sprays of plump sugar pink flowers. The strong light was not conducive to good photos, but you will get the idea.

6-9  E. sp. nov 'Simple Beauty' - this is an unnamed new species (awaiting publication) that Darrell discovered in China, a simple leaved form of a new undescribed species that normally has three leaflets.  The most striking aspect of this species is the high sheen on the leaves, the leaves so glossy they look like they're wet, or have been oiled and polished.  Apparently it is a very good parent in hybridization efforts to pass along the shiny leaf characteristic.  The flowers are large chartreuse yellow spiders with incurved spurs. A 2010 introduction, it is available for sale under the category of "Rarities for Breeders and Collectors" for $200.  According to Darrell the simple-leaved form was very rare, with only a few plants found.

10  Walking among rows upon rows of epimedium cultivars, many of which I grow, it is not uncommon to come across something new... my eye caught a patch of beautiful coppery-red leaves delicately suspended and glowing in the sunshine, labelled E. sempervirens 'Japonica Magnifica'.

To be continued.

Also see:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4769.msg151421#msg151421

[WimB]

You're welcome, John.

It's a cross between E. acuminatum and  E. latisepalum.

Cheers

Wim,

the things you have stored away in your little book of data.  It's always a treat.  I bet you have some real beauties waiting in the garden to bloom. 

Thanks Jamie,

Epi's are one of my (many ) favorite genusses of plants, they keep some interest in the shade garden when a lot of plants have already flowered and are gone. Still some photos to follow, indeed 

[WimB]

Mark,

wonderful plants in Darrell's trial beds.
I like especially the new species with the big flowers (6 cms is huge for an Epi) and E. sempervirens 'Japonica magnifica' (very nice leaf colour indeed)

[WimB]

Here are some picture from today taken in my garden:

Epimedium 'Domino'
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Yellow Princess'
Epimedium 'Kaguya Hime'

[TheOnionMan]

Here are some picture from today taken in my garden:

Epimedium 'Domino'
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Yellow Princess'
Epimedium 'Kaguya Hime'

Excellent close-up photos Wim!  So, Domino has jumped continents too

If it is okay, I'd like to offer up some additional informatiion to add extra context to a couple of these plants.  E. grandiforum 'Yellow Princess' is distinct on account of being a wild selection from high montane elevations in Japan, representing a late emerging (thus late-flowering) form of E. grandiflorum, useful to extend the season of flowering when most grandiflorums are going over.  I find it to be a slow grower too.  This was a year 2000 introduction by Darrell Probst. 

There is another late-emerging wild form of E. grandiflorum from the upper mountainous regions of Japan that was recently introduced (2002) by Darrell Probst, it is E. grandiflorum 'Cranberry Sparkle'.  This is the latest of all, even later emerging than 'Yellow Princess', and just starting to flower recently; the flowers are large and an intense dark cranberry color true to its name, a stunning small plant to be sure.  Photos to be posted soon.

E. x 'Kaguyahime' (most often I see it listed as a single name versus a two-word name, not sure which is correct), this is another beautiful E. acuminatum hybrid (by E. dolichostemon).  I find the flowers are partially nestled and hidden amongst the foliage, but the foliage, that is the main attraction, just look at the beautiful leaf mottling.  This plant flowers over a very long period, mine have been in bloom for a month.

[TheOnionMan]

One of the harder to find Epimedium varieties is E. grandiflorum f. flavescens 'Nanum'.  It is slower to emerge than other flavescens types, with the initial flush of foliage showing very small leaflets of an unusual and attractive tan-coffee color, red stems and dropping clusters of light yellow buds (photo 1).  It is growing beside the much larger E. grandiflorum v. flavescens 'La Rocaille' on the right.

In a weeks time, the leaves more fully expand, yet still much smaller than other flavescens forms, turning a lively bright green, and showing delicate light yellow flowers at the periphery of the leaf canopy (photo 2).  Beside it you can see the much larger 'La Rocaille' which maintains the burnished coppery red tones on the leaves.

Photo 3 is a close-up of the flowers and fine leaflets.

[WimB]

Excellent close-up photos Wim!  So, Domino has jumped continents too

If it is okay, I'd like to offer up some additional informatiion to add extra context to a couple of these plants.  E. grandiforum 'Yellow Princess' is distinct on account of being a wild selection from high montane elevations in Japan, representing a late emerging (thus late-flowering) form of E. grandiflorum, useful to extend the season of flowering when most grandiflorums are going over.  I find it to be a slow grower too.  This was a year 2000 introduction by Darrell Probst. 

There is another late-emerging wild form of E. grandiflorum from the upper mountainous regions of Japan that was recently introduced (2002) by Darrell Probst, it is E. grandiflorum 'Cranberry Sparkle'.  This is the latest of all, even later emerging than 'Yellow Princess', and just starting to flower recently; the flowers are large and an intense dark cranberry color true to its name, a stunning small plant to be sure.  Photos to be posted soon.

E. x 'Kaguyahime' (most often I see it listed as a single name versus a two-word name, not sure which is correct), this is another beautiful E. acuminatum hybrid (by E. dolichostemon).  I find the flowers are partially nestled and hidden amongst the foliage, but the foliage, that is the main attractive, just look at the beautiful leaf mottling.  This plant flowers over a very long period, mine have been in bloom for a month.

Thanks Marc,

you're always more then welcome to give some additional info. You have a lot more knowledge about these plants than I do. I think it's the second year 'Domino' has been for sale here in Belgium.

'Yellow Princess' is a very slow grower here too. Perfect for a shady corner of the rock garden.

I'm looking forward to a picture of 'Cranberry Sparkle'

'Kaguya Hime' should be written in two words: it means Princess Kaguya (a character from a Japanese tenth century folktale (the tale of the bamboo cutter)) (Hime = Princess, Kaguya = the name of the main character which means "radiant night")

[ChrisB]

Mark,  I know colouring on leaves can vary, but my E. grandiflorum 'Nanum' has very definite edging to the foliage, is this a common variation?  It is also quite a lot smaller than yours.

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,  I know colouring on leaves can vary, but my E. grandiflorum 'Nanum' has very definite edging to the foliage, is this a common variation?  It is also quite a lot smaller than yours.

Chris, it is typical for E. grandiflorum 'Nanum' to have a light purplish band around the foliage in spring, which fades as the leaves mature.  It is also typical for older mature plants to grow larger over time.  I have two plants of this, one is 3 years old, the other about 8 years old.  The younger one is so cute, now 12" (30 cm) across x 4" (10 cm) tall in foliage with flowers on stems a little bit taller.  It also has adorable tiny tiny leaves.  The older plant starts out with small leaflets but they get bigger, initially flowering at about 4-6" (10-15 cm) but eventually reaches 10-11" tall (25-27.5 cm), and 24" (60 cm width).  Too bad it doesn't stay as small as when its a younger plant, but it is still smaller than most grandiflorums.

[WimB]

Chris, I think you mixed two different plants up.
E. grandiflorum f. flavescens 'Nanum' is not the same as E. grandiflorum 'Nanum'

[TheOnionMan]

I'm looking forward to a picture of 'Cranberry Sparkle'

'Kaguya Hime' should be written in two words: it means Princess Kaguya (a character from a Japanese tenth century folktale (the tale of the bamboo cutter)) (Hime = Princess, Kaguya = the name of the main character which means "radiant night")

Thanks Wim, good info on the name "Kaguya Hime", thanks... now I feel I know more about this plant.  Regarding 'Cranberry Sparkle', today the sun is out, but still VERY cold and blustery after a day and a half of downpour rain, so the young 'Cranberry Sparkle' looks weather beaten.  I include just a shot of some young buds starting to expand and one color-drained drenched flower.  I have a second plant of this, it is planted in too much shade, and the photos are coming out looking pink instead of red, and many of the flowers have been picked off by some crazed hybridizer which make it not overly photogenic.  So, here's one pathetic little sprig beginning to bloom.

[TheOnionMan]

Chris, I think you mixed two different plants up.
E. grandiflorum f. flavescens 'Nanum' is not the same as E. grandiflorum 'Nanum'

Oh, maybe that's why the question came up.  Wim, you are correct, these are two different plants.  For what it is worth, the E. grandiflorum f. flavescens 'Nanum' was first distributed as E. koreanum 'Nanum', as was typical for the earlier days of nomenclature when the differences between E. grandiflorum f. favescens and E. koreanum were not known.

[WimB]

Regarding 'Cranberry Sparkle', today the sun is out, but still VERY cold and blustery after a day and a half of downpour rain, so the young 'Cranberry Sparkle' looks weather beaten.  I include just a shot of some young buds starting to expand and one color-drained drenched flower.  I have a second plant of this, it is planted in too much shade, and the photos are coming out looking pink instead of red, and many of the flowers have been picked off by some crazed hybridizer which make it not overly photogenic.  So, here's one pathetic little sprig beginning to bloom.

Thanks Mark,

Now I'm really curious to see which kind of "children" this "Crazed hybridizer" will produce with all those lovely cultivars he grows  . I guess you'll show us in a couple of years.

I didn't know this cultivar. I'll have to see if someone in Belgium has imported it already.

[TheOnionMan]

Must pry myself away from the computer and get out into the garden, so much to do on the sunny day.  Before I head on out, here are a couple picture of two of Darrell Probst's best, E. x 'Pink Champagne', what a stunner it is.  The other one is E. sp. nov. 'The Giant', with those caramel color spiders.

And a final pic, of E. x 'Domino'.  I was told that this hybrid was sterile, after I had spent time of dabbing pollen on nearly every flower.  Well, we shall see, because I see lots of little pods starting, whether they contain viable seed will be the question.
Follow-up, this plant is utterly sterile, nothing in those capsules - McMark

[WimB]

Hmmm, "Pink Champagne' is on my wish list... simply BEAUTIFUL

I have pods on my 'Domino' too, I didn't try crossing it though... I'll see if I have seeds...