Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[TheOnionMan]

So much to process, many new epimedium to evaluate. I'm very pleased with the diversity of ilicifolium hybrids, they show lots of potential. 

The first two photos show a young plant dug out of a seedling patch (thereby it's been selected to plant out in the garden for further evaluation); has wide-open yellow "mouth" and incurved yellowish-to-white spurs and wide white sepals.

The next two photos show an upright growing sort, getting those flowers well above the foliage, again a white and yellow affair.  It has the more typical low-and-wide yellow spider type flowers, but with larger ascending white sepals.

[searchandmore]

Epimedium are one of my favouritre perennial plants for their perfect ability to live in woodland/ shaded areas of the garden

http://www.ladybrooknursery.com/2017/04/epimediums-perfect-perennial-woodland-shade-garden/

[David Nicholson]

As a wholesale nursery it would seem you are of only limited interest to us? Still, if you are at least interested in advertising with us I will send you a copy of my "Notes for Advertisers" .

[Maggi Young]

Two  sets of examples of  Epimediums from Olga Bondareva  from 2016 -  pictures that are works of art in themselves....



1. Mislabled hybrid
2. E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'
3. 'Beni-chidori'
4. E. alpinum
5. 3 forms of E. colchicum
6. 'Yokihi'
7. E. x yongianum 'Niveum'
8. E. pauciflorum
9. E. leptorrhizum
10. 'Enchantress'
11. E. pubescens
12. E. koreanum
13. E. x warleyense 'Orangekonigin'
14. E. chlorandrum
15. 'Pink Elf'
16. 'Amber Queen'
17. E. x rubrum
18. E. x cantabrigiense
19. 'Pink Champagne'
20. E. stellulatum
21. 'Rubinkrone'
22. E. brachyrrhizum
23. E. acuminatum
24. E. x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'




1. 'Red Maximum'
2. E. diphyllum dwarf white
3. E. flavum
4. 'Akane'
5. E. pubigerum
6. 'William Stearn'
7. E. macrosepalum
8. 'Korin'
9. 'Azusa'
10. 2 forms of E. colchicum'
11. E. lishihchenii
12. E. dolichostemon
13. E. 'Queen Esta'
14. E. setosum
15. E. x versicolor 'Cupreum'
16. 'Domino'
17. Lable is destroyed (Somewhat like 'Mugo Van Pen')
18. 'Stormcloude'
19. E. x rubrum 'Sweetheart'
Ranzania japonica is the  odd one out - lurking in the middle!

[Heinz Meyer]

A nice overview of the different flowers of Epimedium, Maggy.
Here I also have a page about various epimedias.

http://epimedium.info/en/index.html

[Carolyn]

A nice overview of the different flowers of Epimedium, Maggy.
Here I also have a page about various epimedias.

http://epimedium.info/en/index.html

Super website - just had a quick look.  Lots of useful info and photos. Heinz, thank you for this!

[Gabriela]

A nice overview of the different flowers of Epimedium, Maggy.
Here I also have a page about various epimedias.

http://epimedium.info/en/index.html

You have a beautiful Epimedium website Heinz. Congratulations.

[Maggi Young]

Video of a lecture by Olga Bondareva on Epimedium - and some companion plants

[Heinz Meyer]

You have a beautiful Epimedium website Heinz. Congratulations.

Many thanks Gabriela, but it is not my website

[Maggi Young]

http://epimedium.info/en/index.html

  It is the website of  Lars Ulsamer

[Gabriela]

Ah, thanks Maggi
And Heinz, thanks for bringing it to attention.

[Jacek]

epimedium.info - very interesting.

Also very nice lecture of Olga Bondareva - I was not aware I understand Russian so well (we had obligatory Russian at school).

In case of evergreen epimediums - is it harmful to cut their leaves in November??

[Gabriela]

In case of evergreen epimediums - is it harmful to cut their leaves in November??

It wouldn't be harmful Jacek, but why do it? That's the main appeal of the evergreen species, at least for me - their foliage which keeps well throughout the winter, in most cases.
This year after extended periods of extreme cold without snow the foliage is completely destroyed in Ontario, same goes for hellebores, but it's not always the case.
I only cut the foliage in early spring before the flower stems start to elongate.

[Jacek]

It wouldn't be harmful Jacek, but why do it?

Well, why? Good question.

I do not have many epimediums, they grow mainly in my mind now. I lost quite a few during harsh winter a few years ago - they were newly planted. Moreover, I planted some in places that are too bad - too dark, too dry, just too bad.

So I can find two reasons for my silly question:

1. I have some epimediums growing together with early bulbs, so I would like to cut the leaves of epimediums early. Sometimes early means late (IE, in autumn).

2.I have an idee fixe of surface composting. And I do: first, I called a piece of my garden "a forest". There are old trees there and the bottom is covered with dense growth of Convallaria majalis, die this was a starting point 12 years ago when I moved here. This became both my compost "flat heap" and a woodland garden. For 12 years I have spread all leaves, small wood branches etc over this area - each year 20-25 cm fresh material - not chopped like Ian does. Plants have to cope with these strange conditions and only some do. So, after this long introduction - where are the epimediums?? They are not there, they would lose the competition with convallaria. I just wonder - if I had another new garden, without convallaria, would epimediums play its role? Would they survive covering each year with 20 cm of leaves? Including walnut leaves? This would destroy their leaves in November.

As you see, all those beautiful epimediums grow happily, but only in my mind now. Thank you for your answer.

[Carolyn]

I seem to remember a nurseryman telling me that some of the epimediums should NOT have their leaves cut off. I can't recall which ones he was referring to. Does anyone here know about this?