Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[TheOnionMan]

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?

Sounds like an idea to try, this is why I posted the question, to garner some suggestions by others who might have first-hand experience hastening the seed germination of Epimedium.  Since the seed of Epimedium is a succulent juicy little "bean", I'm not sure how repeated rinsing would work, as that technique is generally reserved for seeds with a hard seed coat.  The Epimedium seeds are soft and fleshy when initially "ripe".

[Lesley Cox]

Generally I'm quite happy for things to take until the following season or year. There's always more than enough to do THIS year that putting off something else until next, sounds like a good idea. But then, I'm the procrastinator's procrastinator.

[Olga Bondareva]

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

Think "Loo" (name of the place where it was found) sounds better?  

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.

I hate to choose names. But plants with name live better.

Your comment about "100% hybrids"

I remember (do not know from, may be from Stern's book) Epimediums do not set seed when alone. This clone is one plant divided for better and quicker growth. So it must be self-sterile. Other E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum were not blooming at that time. Many other epimediums were. So... Seeds must produce hybrids from free pollination.

Now I've been very busy harvesting the pods as they're mostly ripe, and sowing the seed.

Wow! Waiting for new beautiful epimeds! Great work!

Every year I am going to sow free pollinated seed of Epimediums but every year I am too busy to do that… Now I find many Epimedium seedlings in the garden. It’s very interesting to wait for their flowers.

[Olga Bondareva]

Free seedling

[Olga Bondareva]

Epimedium "Amber Queen"





Epimedium grandiflorum "Nanum"


Epimedium macrosepalum


Epimedium x youngianum "Niveum"

[Olga Bondareva]

Epimedium "Sasaki"


Epimedium x versicolor "Neosulphureum" (?)


Epimedium "Rubrokrone"

[WimB]

Epimedium "Sazaki"

Beautiful pictures, as always , Olga.

I think your Epimedium 'Sazaki' is Epimedium x 'Sasaki' which means it's a cross between E. sempervirens and E. setosum (there are a few different hybrids of this parentage sold under Epimedium x 'Sasaki' and they can differ a lot in appearance)

[TheOnionMan]

Think "Loo" (name of the place where it was found) sounds better?  

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.

I hate to choose names. But plants with name live better.

I like names that evoke an impression about the plant in some way.  Staying with Epimedium as an example, one of my personal favorites has become E. x youngianum 'Little Shield', as indeed the leaves look just like little brown-color shields held vertically.  Names for hybrids such as 'Flame Thrower', 'Pink Champagne', 'Sunshowers', 'Liliputian', all evoke an instant impression about what that plant might be like.  Names like E. x youngianum ' Jenny Wren' and 'John Gallagher' commemorate a person, but don't really tell much about the plant; I think such names should be used sparingly.

I try to avoid names that can become easily misinterpreted or misspelled thus inviting confusion.  Also look at what that name might mean in other languages given a broader context.  So with a name like "Loo", it might be misinterpreted as a misspelling for 'Lou' (a Man's name) because the name 'Loo' will only be known by people very familiar with the local place named 'Loo', or perhaps mistaken for "Loon"... the bird or a crazy person, the word "loo" is also a well established slang word in English for a toilet   Better to find a descriptive or poetic name of some sort.

By the way, your close-up Epimediums flower portraits are exquisite.  Also, your E. x versicolor 'Neosulphureum' is correct.

[Olga Bondareva]

I think your Epimedium 'Sazaki' is Epimedium x 'Sasaki' which means it's a cross between E. sempervirens and E. setosum (there are a few different hybrids of this parentage sold under Epimedium x 'Sasaki' and they can differ a lot in appearance)

Oh sorry! I have to be more accurate and do not believe my memory. 

I like names that evoke an impression about the plant in some way.

Yes! Me to. Witch Broom collectors give names due to the place of find. But names in your example are impressive and remembering.

I try to avoid names that can become easily misinterpreted or misspelled thus inviting confusion.  Also look at what that name might mean in other languages given a broader context.  So with a name like "Loo", it might be misinterpreted as a misspelling for 'Lou' (a Man's name) because the name 'Loo' will only be known by people very familiar with the local place named 'Loo', or perhaps mistaken for "Loon"... the bird or a crazy person, the word "loo" is also a well established slang word in English for a toilet    Better to find a descriptive or poetic name of some sort.

I was afraid of such kind of language confusion. 

[Olga Bondareva]

This Epimedium came to me like "Creeping Yellow". It is not yellow and creeping.   Think it is one of grandiflorum/youngianum sorts.


And this one marked like "Merlin". Could it be truth?

[TheOnionMan]

This Epimedium came to me like "Creeping Yellow". It is not yellow and creeping.   Think it is one of grandiflorum/youngianum sorts.

And this one marked like "Merlin". Could it be truth?

Your 'Merlin' does not look like the right color. Just enjoy both of your misnamed eppies for the pretty plants that they are
My plant of "Merlin", one of the few I have not purchased from Garden Vision Nursery, is also not correctly identified, must buy it from them some day to get the real plant.  See Shelagh's photo 9.jpg at this link:

http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=4769.msg149735#msg149735

[Lesley Cox]

Stunning pictures Olga, everyone a gem.

I agree with Mark about the naming of your lovely light yellow, especially about 'Loo.' I read somewhere once that the word "toilet" is used by the lower clases, "loo" by the middle and upper classes' and the aristocrats say "lavatory," seeing no need for the euphamisms that so many like to use.

[TheOnionMan]

Epimedium seed sowing is on my mind; it all seems to ripen at about the same general time and I've been working furiously to sow my attempted hybrid crosses, and perhaps 2 dozen flats of OP (Open Pollinated) seed.  I could never have done any of this if I was actually employed; once again unemployment has its benefits!  I took some photos showing what I'm up to:

1.   Olga showed her pretty white-flowered form of E. pinnatum colchicum, which had me thinking about sowing some of the big fat pods I'm seeing on my E. pinnatum colchicum, knowing they will all be hybrids of one sort or another.  Photo 1 shows a little table set out in the shade (it was a blazing 94 F or 35 C today) with seed pods of E. pinnatum colchicum, ready to be cleaned and sown.

2.   Epimedium seed squeezed out of their pods and sown on a 50/50 mix of good soil and decomposed pine bark mulch.  Since this is OP seed, I sowed the seed more densely than I might for more special hand-pollinated seed.

3.   Top-dress with decomposed pine bark mulch, removing any larger chunks.

4.   Peat flats protected with 1/4" wire mesh, easily cut with wire snips, keeps the %*^$#! chipmunks from their incessant digging... learned this the hard way.  In fact, today I spent a couple hours this morning cleaning and sowing Epimedium seed; had 6 flats done, then took a 1/2 hour break for lunch, and even in that short time, 2 flats were all dug up from marauding chipmunks.  Now, I must cover with wire mesh *immediately* after sowing.  I'm about to declare war on chipmunks.

5.   Of the various E. brevicornu x membranaceum hybrids I raised several years back, only one inherited the everblooming characteristic of E. membranaceum... the other seedlings are long-flowering much like E. brevicornu that started flowering with the earliest eppies, but still has flowers nearly two months later when most eppies are done flowering.  Last year, this one kept blooming to mid August.  Going to serve as a parent for future hybridization.

6.   E. membranaceum, a FANTASTIC species, late flowering and the best everbloomer, which will flower until cut down by frost and snow in late fall or early winter.  The blooms are the largest and most yellow of "spider blossoms" of all species... they just keep on coming.  In the photo, epimedium flowers against a backdrop of Saruma henryii.

[Olga Bondareva]

Your 'Merlin' does not look like the right color. Just enjoy both of your misnamed eppies for the pretty plants that they are

You are right but plants with name are much better. 

Stunning pictures Olga, everyone a gem.

Thank you Lesley!
Still no name for that plant. Think it's no need to name it quickly.

Mark thank you for masterclass of Epimedium sowing.

[Olga Bondareva]

Epimedium platypetalum


Epimedium acuminatum




Epimedium... Epimedium... oh my memory...


May be E. acuminatum pale form (from China)