Epimedium x rubrum
The blooms of the Epimedium x Rubrum may be small, however the plant as a whole, makes quite an impact in the woodland area of our garden.
Charming as the flowers may be, I think the foliage is the selling point of this delightful woodlander. The heart shaped leaves when young, shaded with a reddish tinge, makes for excellent ground cover in the woodland.
The leaves in Summer, turn a mid green, then when Autumn comes around they change to vibrant shades of bronzy red.
This plant sort of borders on being evergreen and by the time mid March comes around I eventually cut back the old leaves and appreciate the signs of the new foliage as it starts very soon to show.
The flowers of this Epimedium in our Aberdeen garden are normally quite sparse, but this year they gave quite a good show, flowering about three weeks later than usual, at the beginning of May.
They have been in our woodland for a number of years now and should benefit with division in late Summer this year.
The picture below is of an Epimedium in the woodland, with the flowers just going over, I think the Erythronium planted directly behind adds a good touch, looking as if this partnership was intended.
Rick, a new garden blogger from Cheshire highlighted Epimediums quite recently. Ricks blog
Thats my latest perennial profile for this week and I would fully recommend Epimedium for the North East of Scotland.
I am not a professional gardener, I hold no diplomas or certificates, however with over forty years experience between myself and Myra (or does that make it 80 years) you can depend on information, of how all the plants which I profile perform in the North East of Scotland. Here the Winters on the coast may not have the very severe frosts as some areas, nevertheless the Summer is generally cooler.
• Hardiness *** Fully hardy
• Soil *** grows in most soil types where it is moist and free draining
• Height *** 30/40cm
• Position *** part shade
• Common name *** barrenwort
*** Epimedium x rubrum ***
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The Bellis perennis ‘Habanera White With Red Tips is biennial, not the sort of plant that I would normally include in my plant profiles.
However, I grew it on from seed last year and flowering in the garden at the moment, I feel it has earned its place in the list.
Its a common Daisy, feeked up by the breeders to give us an alternative to Pansies, Violas and Primula for the Spring bedding.
I have grown it before, a number of years ago. Its not as popular as some of the other Spring chuck away plants, but it makes a change and she seems quite photogenic.
The blooms are white with red tips to varying degrees. At 4/6″ tall they do make a rather nice edging.
They are not quite so early in coming into bloom as the Polyanthus or Violas. In fact, it is often not until the end of April that they start putting on a decent show here in Aberdeen.
Unfortunately, this Bellis happens to reach its very best here in Aberdeen, round about the 1st of June when it happens to be time to remove the Spring bedding and plant up all those colorful summer annuals.
The picture below is of the Main border in the back garden, see the Bellis at the very front.
The seeds of this Bellis, I sowed in seed trays at the beginning of June last year. I pricked them out in mid July, some were placed individually into 9cm pots whilst others ended up in seed trays, twelve to each tray. At the beginning of October they were nice and bushy, ready to be planted out. I have to say the ones in the trays were equally as good as those in the individual pots
If you happen to leave a comment I will be sure to visit your site and do the same
The colours of tulip sits so elegantly at your border. Truly you took so much time manicuring your garden into a something so elegant as this.
One can sit there and admire of hours.
Have a great weekend!
I am not so sure if they will cope with the hot Summers Carolyn, worth a try though. You still have that apostrophe in grandmother’s on your url, you will have to edit this out in wordpress as your link will not work. Hope you dont mind me bringing this to your notice. Alistair
It took a while for epimediums to become established in my woodland, but now they are doing well and spreading. I have some with yellow and others with white blooms, but I would love to add Rubrum! I especially like your combination of the Rubrum with the Erythronium!
Plenty foliage here at the moment Janet, a little short on the blooms except for Rhododendrons.
*Sigh*, I am trying not to be envious of the lovely foliage on your epimdeiums. Mine went from beautiful (if small) to brown and shrivelled over night, thanks to the cold and salt-laden northerly we had last week. Beautiful plants though, I will have to try again if these don’t show signs of recovering.
See how ruthless I am Linnie. I didn’t realise you were a trekkie. Now, this character who always! died, seems pretty unique, did he just die for a short time?
Grazie per le informazioni che Alberto. Proprio come le margherite comuni sono perenni allora ci si aspetterebbe che i Bellis coltivati ??ad essere anche la stessa. Hanno forse solo si prestano a essere non permanente. Addio per ora.
I’ve never met an Epimedium I didn’t like, and your grouping of them with fawn lilies and trillium and anemone is just so pretty!! And ‘feeked’– what a great word, but I had to cringe at ‘chuck away plants’–it reminded me of the ‘disposable ensign’ on Star Trek, the character who always died during exploration of the earthlike planet in the far reaches of the Gamma Quadrant… (Your garden isn’t in the Gamma Quadrant is it Alistair?)
Indeed, on the etymology section of bellis perennis in Wikipedia they explain that bellis means pretty and perennis means perennial, everlasting. So apparently the lawn daisy is perennial, some garden coultivars might not be though.
NB: the English page of bellis perennis doesn’t explain as well as the italian one about this thing, so I’m going to excuse you for this time but you shall pick up some italian.
True enough Donna, never heard of the Bellis being invasive. Of course we just treat them as an annual, or in this case biennial.
Jennifer, some of these woodlanders are a helluva price.
Hi Andrea, thanks for dropping by. I don’t have a nursery, but I reckon they should all be paying me for promoting them.
Hi Alberto, I am not sure regarding the perennis, must look into it.The creation of your woodland area will be something to look forward to.
Hi Alistair, your main border is looking great! I wonder why those daisies are named bellis perennis and then they aren’t ‘perennis’ at all… I like them though.
As for Epimedium it’s a plant with infinite and all tempting varieties but I always desist, since I still miss a proper woodland area in my garden, I’ve planted some trees but it takes time to have an ‘environment’ established. I’m really looking forward to have some proper shady area to plant some of these wonderful creatures though.
Hi Alistair, realized i haven’t been here for a while, as you already changed your costume. That epimedium is already beautiful even without the flowers. By the way, is the nursery connected to all your plant posts also yours? thanks.
I have just one Epimedium and have the perfect spot for a few more. I like the flowers and the foliage on Epimedium x Rubrum. I admired this plant in a local garden catalogue, but was deterred by the high price tag. It is nice to have your recommendation and I think I may splurge next spring and get a plant. ‘Habanera White With Red Tips’ is gorgeous! ( Great photos in this post by the way Alastair!) I didn’t realize that they were biennial. They look perfect in your spring border.
Love your border display. The English Daisy hybrid (what they are called here) I have in pots in my garden, although they could be put in the ground. I did a post on them recently and so many places here consider them invasive, but readers from the UK told me they are welcome there.
Bellis is all right, but I would swap them for Magnolias any day.
I love epimediums and grow over 30 kinds. I have tried growing bellies many times without success so I will just have to admire yours.
Hi Tatyana, I wonder if the Epimediums prefer cooler climates, they spread quite quickly here.
Hi b-a-g, I don’t think I will get back to the heady days when we would bring on from seed, 2000 summer annuals. Bind weed doesn’t grow in Aberdeen.
Hi Frances, the woodland is an area of the garden that I am particularly fond of, just waiting for some blue poppies to open up.
Thanks Donna, Finally got our trees under control, wish the neighbours would do the same.
Wow Alistair that last bed is lovely and I love Bellis it just doesn’t like it in my garden. I also have your feature epimedium. I adore the foliage and the flowers were very showy this year…as I take down my trees this may be one that will have to move as it may be in too much sun. I think I may move it to a bit of a more showy garden so I can see it more often.
Alistair the foliage on the epimedium is lovely, I like your woodland groupings, the contrasts of foliage and dots of flowers, Frances
Hi Alastair – great to read that you’ve rediscovered the joy of growing from seed. I’ve noticed that pretty red edge developing on the petals of daisies in my lawn.
Heart-shaped leaves are not always a good thing (I’m thinking of bind weed …), but your Epimedium is really beautiful. I’ll be looking out for that one.
Hi Alistair! Your Epimediums looks great! i like its foliage as much as its flowers. I started to plant epimediums in my garden only recently. It takes time for them to spread, but they worth waiting! Have a nice week!
Hi Rick, not enough hours in the day at the moment. Off to see what you are getting up to.
Helene, I have a few Lilium Regale growing in pots this year, I may well take you up on increasing my stock.
Hi Astrid, I cheat most of the time, hold the camera a few inches below the flower and the odds are two or three will be usable.
Hi Alistair
I have this Epimedium as well as the little yellow one “Sulphureum”. They are so dainty and lovely – I wait every year for them near my front walkway. Again I applaud your photography skills – you must have been upside-down shooting the Barrenwort – the flowers are tiny and hang upside down (like the Hellebore).
Growing Lilium regale from seed is actually very easy, I just sow them fresh in 9cm pots with some grit and leave them outdoor for 3 years on a shelf in a semi-shady position. All they need is water, and a bit of liquid fertilizer in the summer. They germinate the following spring, get to about 25 cm in year 2 and about 40cm in year 3. In spring year 4 they can be planted out and will flower but take another couple of years to become mature. This is the third time I have a tray tucked away with seedlings, no work at all really, from 3 bulbs I have around 80 Lilium regale by now. They are species lilies and come true from seed so no fancy inbreeding with my other oriental lilies unfortunately! I recon I have about 80% germination from the seeds I collect, I always leave a couple of pods to set seeds at the end of the summer. If you haven’t tried it yet it is so fun – easy plants to take care of and so tough, even this hard winter we had didn’t kill off the seeds I sowed last October!
Hi Alistair, Fantastic pictures as always, I wish my garden looked as neat and tidy as yours! As you say epimediums on the whole are better thought of as excellent ground cover as, although the flowers are beautiful they are tiny and, in all but a few species, they become buried as the new foliage emerges. Thanks very much for the link you included, very much appreciated. Something especially for you up there in Bonnie Scotland on my latest post.
Thats exactly what it means Kininvie. Not to be mistaken with a (feeky drinker), some sort of insult thrown at drinkers of bygone days who would consume stuff like brasso, methylated spirits and other intoxicating substances. And, even though my stepfather, god rest his soul was a drunk, he was never a feeky drinker.
Jesters, yes I can see why this comes to mind Angie.
Sunil, I was just thinking of planting a yellow variety of the Epimedium.
Hello Helene, It is so very special when you grow plants from seed, I used to do this in a big way, starting to get a little lazy about it these days. Growing Lilies from seed,thats what I call dedication. I wonder if they will come true, or you may well get something equally special with cross breeding.
They are looking too good to remove, has to be done within the next few days though.
I like the ol’ Bellis, call me ol’ fashioned!
Hi Alistair, thanks for yet another post with plants I haven’t heard about!
Well I have heard about Bellis of course, have had them myself a few times, but I had not heard about epimediums before. I started reading about them and then looked them up on a website where I have bought shady woodland plants before. Here they have no less than 20 different varieties and cultivars!
http://www.plantsforshade.co.uk/acatalog/Epimedium.html
I’d love to include some of these in my woodland area, have thought about redesigning it a bit anyway and not rely so heavily on spring bulbs, as it is so empty there for 6-8 months a year.
Lovely photos you got for us today, and your Bellis are beautiful, can’t understand why they aren’t popular bedding plants, I think they are lovely. And it is always a bit special when you have grown something from seed, right? I have some Lilium regale plants I hope will flower for the first time this year, grown from seeds from lilies in my garden. Very different from just buying some bulbs 😉
Hope you had a lovely weather today, enjoy it while it lasts!
Hi Alistair, your garden continues to look spectacular, it really is amazing! I didn’t know Epimediums could be red, we have a yellow one in the front, it’s only visible for a short time before the Solomon’s Seal and Arums grow over the top of it. Each year I keep meaning to try and get seeds, cuttings, anything to propagate more of it to have in more visible locations. We’re on year three at the moment, not sure if I’ll get round to it this year.
Alistair – I agree with everything you have said about Epimedium x rubrum. A favourite in my garden. A plant that ‘gives’ something to the garden for such a long period, it would be one I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone.
The flowers always remind me of jesters!
Hello Alistair,
I’m delighted to find you using the good old Doric phrase ‘feek up’ – which I take to mean ‘greatly improved’? Would I be right? I’m not a Doric speaker, myself…
Larry, you do have extremes with the weather. I guess the good times make up for it all.
Alistair, everything is so lovely! Your epimedium has the same leaves but a somewhat different (and much more brightly colored) bloom than ours. Love the bright colors of yours! And your back bed and daisies are equally bright and cheery!
Hi Alistair… I love epimediums as well but had a very disconcerting time with them this year… many gave in to the horrible heat and wind last summer. Some of my favorite clumpers which I’ve had for years, died as well… I suspect from a thaw in January followed by heavy rain which immediately turned to ice in the top layers of soil and then lots of snow on top of that. All in all, I lost perhaps 20 or more epimediums of the clumping varieties. I’ve replaced many now, but will miss the large floriferous plants that I had previously. Lovely pictures today! Larry