Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[WimB]

Wim, I need to one day get your namesake Epimedium, have to have Wim Boens in my collection

LOL, I can always send you one, just give the word.

Someone needs to start some sort of name registry for Epimedium, otherwise duplicate names are bound to happen.

Well, you'd need a website, a database program and a couple of people with access to add the new names (and some more data)....I volunteer to add names, maybe the Onion Man (who seems not so Allium-minded anymore, maybe "The Horny Goats Weed Man" would be better ) can make a program LOL

Two of my Epimedium hybrids were dropped off with Karen, and based on size of plants and likely number of divisions, might be available for purchase spring 2018.

Then they'll arrive here, accross the big pond in 2020 probably...for astronomical prices probably...oh well...patience.

Revisiting my "pink mini-grandi", it's looking better than ever this year, uploaded here are 3 recent photos. Wim, been thinking about low growing Epimedium; do you grow 'Fire Dragon' (davidii x leptorrhizum) or 'Yachimata Hime'?  'Fire Dragon' now in its 3rd year is not very tall, maybe 4"-5", same with Yachimata Hime, the tiny leaflets on it stippled and very attractive.

Your 'Pink Imp' does look GREAT, 10 for me please 

I do know Fire Dragon, but I never really paid it much mind, it does grow to be 20/25 cm where I've seen it...it would be great for crossing indeed (if not for size, at least for flower colour), need to get one of those...I think Daniëlle has this one! I didn't know 'Yachimata Hime' (named for the Japanese Kami (goddess) of the crossroads, who protects travellers), but those stippled leaves do seem yummy...

[TheOnionMan]

...the Onion Man (who seems not so Allium-minded anymore, maybe "The Horny Goats Weed Man" would be better )

Haha, the "Horny Goats Weed Man", now there's a moniker to be proud of. But you're right, my long term enthusiasm for Allium has waned in favor of the amazing genetic plasticity of Epimedium. Maybe I should simplify my new moniker to merely "The Horny Gardener"? Oops, that's probably too short a name.

Your 'Pink Imp' does look GREAT, 10 for me please 

Clever way of suggesting a name As we've been discussing back and forth on Facebook, I'm still working on a name. The reason I'm taking a long time to decide is, I'm hoping to begin a series of similar selections, tuffet-shaped plants with tiny leaflets and flowers on top, but in various colors, so the "series" name has to be considered as well.

I do know Fire Dragon, but I never really paid it much mind, it does grow to be 20/25 cm where I've seen it...it would be great for crossing indeed (if not for size, at least for flower colour), need to get one of those...I think Daniëlle has this one! I didn't know 'Yachimata Hime' (named for the Japanese Kami (goddess) of the crossroads, who protects travellers), but those stippled leaves do seem yummy...

I measured plant sizes: Fire Dragon is 5"-6" here (in flower), my "mini-grandi" is 6"-7" in flower, and Yachimata Hime is 5"-6" in flower but leaves only 2"-3" high.  The extra tiny speckled leaflets on Yachimata Hime are indeed "yummy", I'm liking this little one a lot. I don't know it's ultimate size, I had rescued it from too dry a spot and replanted in this very good spot where it's been these last 2 years, perhaps it'll get a bit bigger.  I thought little of it when I first saw it, now I believe it to be rather special. Some recent photos of 'Yachimata Hime'. By the way, each flower has been manually pollinated, as far as possible under less-than-controlled situation.

I'm also really liking Fire Dragon, particularly how long lasting the flowers are, and how they are produced in cluster-knobs, rather than in more evenly spaces sprays. I will use a separate post to show 'Fire Dragon' plant and flowers.

[TheOnionMan]

Some views of Epimedium 'Fire Dragon' (davidii x leptorrhizum) by Robin White

[TheOnionMan]

This view shows 3 epimedium planted together:  Epimedium 'Yachimata Hime (white), McMark's "pink mini grandi", and 'Fire Dragon' (pink and yellow), gives a sense of relative size to each other.

[Gabriela]

This view shows 3 epimedium planted together:  Epimedium 'Yachimata Hime (white), McMark's "pink mini grandi", and 'Fire Dragon' (pink and yellow), gives a sense of relative size to each other.

All very nice, it shows again how lovely your 'pink mini grandi' is!
Here E. 'Tama-no-Genpei' is just starting, I just got back a division from a friend who hosted some of my plants and I am thrilled to see it flowering.

[Rick R.]

Like most epimediums, Yachimata Hime handles neglect quite well in my garden.

(By the way, Mark, that is an Allium sacculiferum from your seed in the background.  Thanks so much!)

I bought "Fire Dragon" from a local nursery many years ago.  I was so taken by it that when it died unexpectedly after 6 years, I bought another mail order.  When it came, I realized what I originally had was not Fire Dragon at all.  It seems distinctive enough that someone might recognize it.  The flower sprays grow about 18 inches.  Any ideas?

[WimB]

Haha, the "Horny Goats Weed Man", now there's a moniker to be proud of. But you're right, my long term enthusiasm for Allium has waned in favor of the amazing genetic plasticity of Epimedium. Maybe I should simplify my new moniker to merely "The Horny Gardener"? Oops, that's probably too short a name.

I think that's been done already, and I know a lot of horny gardener's   

Clever way of suggesting a name As we've been discussing back and forth on Facebook, I'm still working on a name. The reason I'm taking a long time to decide is, I'm hoping to begin a series of similar selections, tuffet-shaped plants with tiny leaflets and flowers on top, but in various colors, so the "series" name has to be considered as well.

So, something like 'Pink Imp', 'Yellow Gnome', 'Purple Sprite',.... or, since you're living in MA: 'Pink Nikommo', 'Yellow Moshup', 'Purple Pukwudgie',...

I measured plant sizes: Fire Dragon is 5"-6" here (in flower), my "mini-grandi" is 6"-7" in flower, and Yachimata Hime is 5"-6" in flower but leaves only 2"-3" high.  The extra tiny speckled leaflets on Yachimata Hime are indeed "yummy", I'm liking this little one a lot. I don't know it's ultimate size, I had rescued it from too dry a spot and replanted in this very good spot where it's been these last 2 years, perhaps it'll get a bit bigger.  I thought little of it when I first saw it, now I believe it to be rather special. Some recent photos of 'Yachimata Hime'. By the way, each flower has been manually pollinated, as far as possible under less-than-controlled situation.

Y-H looks interesting to cross with indeed.

[Jon Evans]

Rick
Your Epimedium which isn't Fire Dragon looks a lot like Robin White's Amber Queen, though there are similar amber coloured cultivars out there.

[Rick R.]

A strong candidate, Jon.  Thanks!

[WimB]

With the help of two SRGC formnists, the Epimedium webshop of Daniëlle Monbaliu (Epimedium nursery in Belgium) is now online....mailorder to the entire EU: http://www.epimediumshop.be/en/35-epimedium

[Maggi Young]

With the help of two SRGC forumists, the Epimedium webshop of Daniëlle Monbaliu (Epimedium nursery in Belgium) is now online....mailorder to the entire EU: http://www.epimediumshop.be/en/35-epimedium

That's good to know!   Seems to have lots of  the set-up/ example  text on a lot of pages still?

[WimB]

That's good to know!   Seems to have lots of  the set-up/ example  text on a lot of pages still?

Yes, it's a work in progress....but the catalogue is up-to-date!

[WimB]

Epimedium 'Rik', named for Belgian Master-Plantsman Hendrik (Rik) Van Bogaert.

[TheOnionMan]

Heya all, slow traffic here, I guess everyone is too busy in the garden (myself included).

Gabriela, fine photos of grandiflorum 'Tama no Genpei', love the elegant curve of the spurs on this one.

Rick, sorry that I've been neglecting the forums, glad to see you are having luck with Yachimata Hime, looking very good there with a fine Allium in the background .

The orange one (the "not" Fire Dragon) is surely Amber Queen, a very popular cultivar.  I had two plants, placed on each side at the start of a garden path, but after its third year both died over winter...strange.  Have not replaced it yet.  There is another orange one named 'Bieke', but I don't think your plant is that.

Wim, we've been discussing in other social fora, but wanted to say, you're the Master of Names, some very interesting suggestions.  The 'Rik' hybrid has very deep color and saturation, I LIKE IT, would like to see what the plant looks like as a whole.

Our season has gone very quickly here, mostly cool and moist, but rudely interrupted with a 3-day heat wave with temps near mid-90s F (34C) which rather quickly advanced the season and put an end to lots of flowering. The later season ones are blooming now that cool wet weather is back. I'm really liking the results of Epimedium elongatum hybrids (both OP and manual crosses done several years ago). They have a general theme of much reduced flowers (although some are large flowered too), flowers held in tall spikes above the highly bronzed foliage (although gone green after the heat), with clouds of ascending yellow stars and amplified red sepals. Showing a few photos of a selected one that's making a solid plant in the garden, has many-flowered boxy spikes of little red & yellow ascending stars.  I'd like to name at least one of these out of dozens being trialed.  There are some that have tiny flowers that are extra hairy-webby, but I like the one below the best.

[Rick R.]

Thanks, Mark!