Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[TheOnionMan]

John, E. fargesii Pink Constellation is a nice one, pretty coloration.  I just have regular white and purple fargesii, but it really settled in and took off this year.  In previous years I had dismissed it as not a great species, but I have reconsidered after it filled in.  I like the fact the pollen is green, easy to see when using fargesii flowers for hybridization  It also has some late blooms, used the last two flowers on it today... maybe it'll rebloom.  One day I'll have to get 'Pink Constellation', I believe the flower shape and color could be useful in a hybridization program.

Olga, I believe I saw a photo (was it yours?) in 2009 that showed various pastel color forms of E. pinnatum colchicum, instead of the usually bright yellow.  Are the pastel flower forms available in commerce someplace?    Being such a different (for colchicum) and lovely color, I'm surprised that it is not a named cultivar.

[TheOnionMan]

It has been an educational process, to label self-sown epimedium seedlings as to what Epimedium species or cultivar it was found under.  In a few years growing on seedlings, knowing the likely parent plant and its neighboring plants, give clues as to what might happen if a deliberate hybridization program were in place.  I was surprised by some of the seedlings found under Epimedium x youngianum 'Liliputian'. 

In the first photo, you see 'Liliputian' (aptly named) in the center, with E. grandiflorum 'Dark Beauty' on the left (already starting to "green up") and E. grandiflorum 'Queen Esta' on the right, certainly of similar parentage as 'Dark Beauty', mostly likely with grandiflorum var. violaceum blood (seems unlikely to me that 'Dark Beauty' came from 'Yubae' and 'Silver Queen' as has been stated).  Liliputian has faint speckling on the foliage.

The seedlings from Liliputian are all small to small-ish plants, useful if one is breeding for compact sized plants.  In fact, one is even smaller than Liliputian, although it remains to be seen it it grow larger over time, the same way that E. grandiflorum 'Nanum' eventually builds in size. I uploaded photos of some of the seedlings in their late spring foliage, some showing colorful second foliar flushes.  There is obvious influence from 'Dark Beauty' on some. 

1.  General view, giving sense of scale to 'Liliputian' in the middle.
2.  hybrid that is even more dwarf than Liliputian, all green leaves, no faint leaf speckling.
3.  hybrid with 'dark Beauty', imparts those coffe-toffee-color new leaves.  Not flowered yet.
4.  hybrid, dark new leaflets, white flowers
5.  hybrid, pinkish red, narrow pointed new foliage
6.  hybrid, red-rimmed hearts on new foliage
7.  hybrid, bright red and yellow angular new leaves.

[Lesley Cox]

But it seems that epimediums become more and more popular!

Who could be surprised at that, considering how many fabulous and stunning plants are shown on this Forum?

[Maggi Young]

But it seems that epimediums become more and more popular!

Who could be surprised at that, considering how many fabulous and stunning plants are shown on this Forum?

Quite so! This taken from the top of the page now:

Epimedium listing: including Epimedium 2010  (Read 6875 times)

    That's a LOT of interest! 

[WimB]

It has been an educational process, to label self-sown epimedium seedlings as to what Epimedium species or cultivar it was found under.  In a few years growing on seedlings, knowing the likely parent plant and its neighboring plants, give clues as to what might happen if a deliberate hybridization program were in place.  I was surprised by some of the seedlings found under Epimedium x youngianum 'Liliputian'. 

In the first photo, you see 'Liliputian' (aptly named) in the center, with E. grandiflorum 'Dark Beauty' on the left (already starting to "green up") and E. grandiflorum 'Queen Esta' on the right, certainly of similar parentage as 'Dark Beauty', mostly likely with grandiflorum var. violaceum blood (seems unlikely to me that 'Dark Beauty' came from 'Yubae' and 'Silver Queen' as has been stated).  Liliputian has faint speckling on the foliage.

The seedlings from Liliputian are all small to small-ish plants, useful if one is breeding for compact sized plants.  In fact, one is even smaller than Liliputian, although it remains to be seen it it grow larger over time, the same way that E. grandiflorum 'Nanum' eventually builds in size. I uploaded photos of some of the seedlings in their late spring foliage, some showing colorful second foliar flushes.  There is obvious influence from 'Dark Beauty' on some. 

1.  General view, giving sense of scale to 'Liliputian' in the middle.
2.  hybrid that is even more dwarf than Liliputian, all green leaves, no faint leaf speckling.
3.  hybrid with 'dark Beauty', imparts those coffe-toffee-color new leaves.  Not flowered yet.
4.  hybrid, dark new leaflets, white flowers
5.  hybrid, pinkish red, narrow pointed new foliage
6.  hybrid, red-rimmed hearts on new foliage
7.  hybrid, bright red and yellow angular new leaves.

I bought E. x youngiaum 'Lilliputian' this year. It seems very good for hybridizing. Thanks for showing these, Mark.

[ChrisB]

Mark, when you show us pictures of these plants, they always seem to be in light rather than shade.   Do you grow them all in full sunlight?  I notice a lot of bark mulch around them too, which I do.  But I try to grow them in shade mostly.  Maybe I should reconsider?

[TheOnionMan]

Mark, when you show us pictures of these plants, they always seem to be in light rather than shade.   Do you grow them all in full sunlight?  I notice a lot of bark mulch around them too, which I do.  But I try to grow them in shade mostly.  Maybe I should reconsider?

Chris, I believe epimedium do best with at least a couple hours of direct sun, even up to half day sun, to color up best and promote strong flowering.  I made a new area in a shady spot 2 years ago, shaded by a white pine, and the more constant shaded conditions under an evergreen tree has resulted in slower growth and disappointing floral displays.  If grown under or around deciduous trees, the eppies at least get lots of sun as they initially grow and set flowers, to get high open shade after flowering when the trees leaf out... that's a happy situation.  My new Epimedium expansion area gets 1/2 day full sun and indirect shade in the afternoon.

The nursery beds at Garden Vision Epimediums is, for the most part, right out there in the sun.  Since the nursery is an area cut out of the forest, the perimeter woods do bring some shady relief at certain times of day.

[fleurbleue]

Nice pale form Olga 

[ChrisB]

Thanks for that Mark.  I'll bear it in mind when planting any more.  It has to be said that some of mine refuse to flower and this may be the reason why!  I had always considered them dry shade plants.... ah well, most do survive nicely for me in these conditions.

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks for that Mark.  I'll bear it in mind when planting any more.  It has to be said that some of mine refuse to flower and this may be the reason why!  I had always considered them dry shade plants.... ah well, most do survive nicely for me in these conditions.

Actually, many will do just fine in full sun, in fact, I've shown here in this thread a couple times E. x warleyense growing in full sun. It flowers like crazy, and the foliage takes on deep burnished orange shades (it is fantastic right now), whereas when grown in shade the foliage is plain green. A few weeks ago I rescued a large clump of E. x warleyense 'Orangekonigin' completely shaded under Stewartia pseudocamelia... the tree roots far too aggressive and mat-forming to allow much to grow under the tree, so the eppie barely blooms.  In a sunnier spot without such drastic root competition, I hope to see more of its lovely orange flowers (which are fertile and produce pollen for hybridizing, unlike its sterile sibling ).

[Olga Bondareva]

Olga, I believe I saw a photo (was it yours?) in 2009 that showed various pastel color forms of E. pinnatum colchicum, instead of the usually bright yellow.  Are the pastel flower forms available in commerce someplace?    Being such a different (for colchicum) and lovely color, I'm surprised that it is not a named cultivar.

Mark,
I found this pale form in 2008. It was one plant between thousands of standard yellow. Now it is bigger and stronger. I hope in some years I could multiply it and spread to other gardens. It set seeds but they will give 100% hybrids because other species are near.
We could choose its name right now.

[gote]

Olga, I believe I saw a photo (was it yours?) in 2009 that showed various pastel color forms of E. pinnatum colchicum, instead of the usually bright yellow.  Are the pastel flower forms available in commerce someplace?    Being such a different (for colchicum) and lovely color, I'm surprised that it is not a named cultivar.

Mark,

We could choose its name right now.

I suggest "Olga"   (After my grandmother of course  )
It is a really superior colour and it looks even better than last year
Göte

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,
I found this pale form in 2008. It was one plant between thousands of standard yellow. Now it is bigger and stronger. I hope in some years I could multiply it and spread to other gardens. It set seeds but they will give 100% hybrids because other species are near.
We could choose its name right now.

Hard to say, since plants that get named, will bear that name for years and decades, it is easy to agonize on finding just the right name.  Your comment about "100% hybrids" makes sense of course, but has me thinking... I dedicated approximately 25 different Epimedium to be pod parents, and over the course of weeks I hand pollinated (hydridize with selected species/cultivars) each and every flower on those selected plants.  Now I've been very busy harvesting the pods as they're mostly ripe, and sowing the seed.  But I am also sowing selected OP (Open-Pollinated) epimediums, particularly those that have interesting epimedium neighbors near by.  So, my E. pinnatum colchicum is covered with fat pods... maybe I should sow a couple flats of these, and see what comes out of it.  Such fun!

[TheOnionMan]

Does anyone have suggestions for methods of hastening Epimedium seed germination.  In my experience, they only germinate after going through a winter, and when weather warms up the following spring they start germinating.  I've been told by those having much more experience with Epimedium germination than myself, that attempts at refrigerator treatments, greenhouse treatments, etc, that none of these methods works very well except for letting seeds germinate the following spring after warm weather arrives.

[rob krejzl]

I've been told by those having much more experience with Epimedium germination than myself, that attempts at refrigerator treatments, greenhouse treatments, etc, that none of these methods works very well except for letting seeds germinate the following spring after warm weather arrives.

Isn't the implication of this that there are two factors involved in initiating germination, chilling and (presumably) the  removal/breakdown of a chemical inhibitor? Did anyone try a regime involving repeated rinsing in clean water in addition to stratification?