Epimedium - various threads gathered together here

[TheOnionMan]

Mark,

your small spontaneous seedling with white flowers is remarkable!

last year, I was given 8 species of Epimedium. I'm watching them right now to watch for signs of new growth.
are they as easy to cultivate as hybrids?

Hybrids are never self-fertile either?

 I have this one without name, which comes from the garden of my mother, that could someone determine it?

Veronique, I'm glad you like the white-flowered seedling, it might be a good stepping stone for further hybridizing due to its upward facing flowers and larger than normal flower size.

Most Epimedium species I've tried seem happy in the garden, although I've run into a few that seem reluctant to grow, such as hunanense and epsteinii, and a few that didn't survive our winters, but the majority are excellent garden plants.

I'm not sure about your question, if hybrids are never self-fertile, I will need to experiment to find out the answer. Interesting enough, some hybrids are sterile and do not make seed.

I agree with Leena that your plant looks like E. x rubrum.

[TheOnionMan]

Thank you again!
I have this Epimedium growing close to E.diphyllum. I have bought it as Epimedium 'Tama-No-Genpei', but looking now at the pictures in the internet I suspect this is also something else. What do you think?

Leena, it looks like a diphyllum type hybrid, you are correct that it's not E. grandiflorum 'Tama No Genpei', here's a link to that cultivar on Garden Vision Epimediums web site.
http://www.epimediums.com/wp-content/uploads/catablog/fullsize/E.%20grand.%20Tama%20No%20Genpei2.jpg

I have a hybrid of that cultivar, which has been released to Garden Vision, it's name is 'Mark's Star', a nickname that Wim Boens called my plant when I showed it here, an ultimately the name stuck. It might be available autumn 2018, but if not then definitely by spring 2019.

Some photos:
1.  E. grandiflorum 'Tama No Genpei' in my garden, ignore the Asarum canadense foliage in the foreground, that overly rambunctious ginger has been removed.

2 - 3  Epimedium 'Mark's Star' - has more of a clean white center, short and very floriferous, long slightly arched spurs that give the flowers a star-like appearance when viewed from above.

4.  Second leaf flush on E. 'Mark's Star', attractive red-banded heart-shape leaflets.

[Véronique Macrelle]

thank you both for having determined my Epimedium. it is always better to have a plant with a name. E. rubrum looks exactly.

since they do not self-pollinate, I now understand why it's so hard to find wild species! in addition, I imagine that it is always the same clones that we find in culture ...

and I am a little disappointed to know that I would not have seeds on mine.

[Leena]

The real 'Tama No Genpei' looks really nice, and 'Mark's Star' is amazing, so much flowers! Congratulations!
I have now at least three Epimediums which are not what they were supposed to be when I bought them. I don't know if this is common or if I have just had bad luck:(
I haven't seen E.diphyllum for sale at least in Finland, is it typical that more expensive cultivars are replaced with it?

[kris]

Mark E. grandiflorum 'Tama No Genpei is excellent! I hope I can grow it in Saskatoon since  some grandiflorum  hybrids are hardy here. The most hardy and easy one is  Epi x rubrum. Last year I lost all mine except this one.
Kris

[Gabriela]

I have now at least three Epimediums which are not what they were supposed to be when I bought them. I don't know if this is common or if I have just had bad luck:(
I haven't seen E.diphyllum for sale at least in Finland, is it typical that more expensive cultivars are replaced with it?

Leena - in our side of the world, many Epimediums are confused in the trades as well. It may be because when not in flower it is very hard, or better said almost impossible to distinguish between various species, not to mention hybrids.

The one you showed a picture looks like Epimedium x sasaki, sometimes written as E. 'Sasaki'.

[Gabriela]

Mark - your seedling from E. Tama no Genpei, which is a beautiful cv. in itself, is really great!
I especially like the addition of the red banding of the second flush, reminds of E. Cherry Hearts.

I've read through the last posts here and re the hybrids being fertile I can say that Epimedium Amber Queen seems to be.
Short story long, about 3 years ago when I moved gardens, I had it for a while by itself in a pot and it formed seeds.

[TheOnionMan]

Veronique: you mentioned getting 8 species of Epimedium last year. If they're planted in the garden in proximity to each other, and flowering at the same time with bees working the flowers, you should indeed get some seed.

Leena: hard to comment on your experience of misnamed Epimedium in Finland, other than what Gabriela mentioned, that misnamed plants can happen anywhere. Perhaps because Epimedium are so uncommon in the plant trade in Finland, as compared with let's say England and France, that Finish nursery people are less familiar with the genus to spot misidentified ones.

Kris: what is your Zone in Saskatoon? I would think that a reasonable number of Epimedium could be hardy for you, I would start by testing some of the following if they're available:  pubigerum, pinnatum ssp. colchicum, warleyense, versicolor 'Sulphureum', these are all tough as nails. On other varieties, not sure if your plants get enough moisture in summer & autumn, I have lost a good number of Epimedium here due to severe summer drought (201 & 2016), where plants enter winter in a weakened state then don't survive the winter.

Gabriela: I had 'Amber Queen' for two years, here they did not make viable seed that I recall. Both plants died over winter heading into the third year, I don't know why.  When you say your plants "formed seed", did it form visible seed pods, and if so, were the pods empty or have viable green seeds inside that look like a tiny lima bean?  I ask because sterile hybrids still go through the motion of producing pods, but they will be empty inside or have vestigial remnant start of non-viable seed.  I have to re-order this plant, both for the beautiful flower color and now to verify about the seeds. 

[TheOnionMan]

I have released a new Epimedium that's been submitted to Garden Vision Epimediums for production, it is named 'Short Story' (brachyrrhizum x grandiflorum).  This plant has abundant silvery pink flowers produced higher up and more visible in the plant, beautiful presentation among bronzed new growth. Once foliage expands the leaves go green with soft red mottling, makes a graceful well-shaped dome. After flowering the 2nd flush of foliage does not disappoint, it's strongly mottled bright red. Foliage lasts late into autumn season but ultimately it is deciduous. Both Epimedium 'Short Story' and 'Mark's Star' will be available spring 2019 (possibility limited availability autumn 2018).

[Véronique Macrelle]

oh yes Mark, it's really very successful! remarkable !


I have spaced my different species, because I was hoping unhybridized seeds for list exchanges list but I understand that I must give up, unless I double my collection.

have you ever seen the giant epimedium, 150+ cm tall ?

[Maggi Young]

Congrats on these new intros, McMark - very fetching indeed.

[TheOnionMan]

Thank you Veronique & Maggi :-)

Veronique: If your Epimedium plants set seed and you collect it, all such seed will be hybrids, not possible to collect unhybridized seed for seed exchanges.  To increase epimediums true-to-name, they need to be increased by vegetative division. Also, Epimedium seed is ephemeral, must be sown fresh (in the green), it cannot be allowed to dry.

I have "The Giant" epimedium, it only seems to attain great stature in a greenhouse, grown outside it's no taller than 60cm.
Two photos show Epimedium "The Giant":

[Gabriela]

Gabriela: I had 'Amber Queen' for two years, here they did not make viable seed that I recall. Both plants died over winter heading into the third year, I don't know why.  When you say your plants "formed seed", did it form visible seed pods, and if so, were the pods empty or have viable green seeds inside that look like a tiny lima bean?  I ask because sterile hybrids still go through the motion of producing pods, but they will be empty inside or have vestigial remnant start of non-viable seed.  I have to re-order this plant, both for the beautiful flower color and now to verify about the seeds. 

My Amber Queen produces lots of seeds reliable Mark - you can have them next year, I'm serious. I will stop sowing it, have enough seedlings from it already.
I also sown the ones produces when growing alone, I should have first flowering this year, so we will see...

 Short Story is very beautiful, congratulations!

[kris]

Kris: what is your Zone in Saskatoon? I would think that a reasonable number of Epimedium could be hardy for you, I would start by testing some of the following if they're available:  pubigerum, pinnatum ssp. colchicum, warleyense, versicolor 'Sulphureum', these are all tough as nails. On other varieties, not sure if your plants get enough moisture in summer & autumn, I have lost a good number of Epimedium here due to severe summer drought (201 & 2016), where plants enter winter in a weakened state then don't survive the winter.

Thanks Mark. Free spirit nursery sells some of them.I will try one or two this year.
Saskatoon is zone 3A. Last year was also an unusual one since lots of other plants also died.

[kris]

Frazers thimble farm is another one selling lot of Epimediums. I will try that too.
Kris