Epimedium 2014

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Woodlanders

Kicking off this starter message on Epimedium 2014.  I hope to start into some research on new varieties available from a number of nurseries.  But for tonight, just a photo of a selected unnamed hybrid of mine that has deep chocolate foliage in spring, contrasting well with pure white flowers above the foliage.

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Longma's picture

Longma (not verified)

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 5:55am

Insprired by some superb images of lovely looking plants on this Forum last year, we purchased a small selection of Epimedium sp. and hybrids in the Fall. The first is flowering well now. Question is ..... what next? Do we need to do anything, or just leave them to their own devices to grow and grow ?

                

Mark McDonough's picture

Mark McDonough

Sat, 03/15/2014 - 5:24pm

Ron, glad you tried some Epimedium varieties, you can't go wrong with them.  They are "easy doers" and for the most part, very long lived, just leave them to their own and they will increase in size and loveliness each year.  I see you have E. x 'Black Sea' in bloom, one of the earliest blooming sorts, it's a sterile hybrid with E. pinnatum ssp. colchicum, best known for the very dark reddish or purplish black late autumn and winter foliage color.

Trond, I like the name "Chocolate and Cream" but this plant may not be good enough, the spring color is very good for just a short time, and then looks like many other epimediums, but its still in an "evaluation bed".

We still have a 1'-2' mantle of hard-pack snow, reached 52 F today so it felt like spring, but the next few days we're back into the frigid arctic blast. On the warm south side of my house, enough snow receded from a small strip of ground and suddenly out of nowhere there was a single bloom on Colchicum kesselringii.  The epimediums will surely be late this year, if ever spring actually arrives.

Longma's picture

Longma (not verified)

Sun, 03/16/2014 - 2:29am

Thanks for the advice Mark, that's exactly what we'll do.

I can see a few more being added this year, laugh

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Sun, 04/27/2014 - 2:03pm

The first epimedium in flower this year. An unnamed plant with strange flowers (are they fully opened yet? Have to look again tomorrow.

   

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Mon, 04/28/2014 - 1:23pm

Thanks Mark.

You are right, the flowers were more open today. I'll take a pic tomorrow.

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Fri, 05/09/2014 - 11:31pm

"Tomorrow" is more than a week later! The flowers opened properly some days ago.

Here are some pictures taken yesterday: (It's difficult to picture the flowers as they hang on the underside of the leaves)

 

 

 

The leaves are mottled in a nice way. Very different from the others (few) I have.

Pale yellow but quite large flowers.

 

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Mon, 05/12/2014 - 3:09am

[quote=Mark McD]

yup, that is E. wushanense.

[/quote]

 

Thanks Mark. Now I have filed it!

Maryanne Gryboski's picture

Maryanne Gryboski

Mon, 05/12/2014 - 5:05pm

The foliage on E. wushanense is very nice; I like its narrowness and spiny edges.  How long does the mottling last?  And what do you think of the plant overall?  Is it worth every penny it costs?

Trond Hoy's picture

Trond Hoy

Wed, 05/14/2014 - 10:31am

I have had my plant for only one year so I can't sat much yet. The foliage gets much sun and  is still mottled. It is a little greener in the shaded parts.

Although the flowers are a bit pale they are rather huge and last for a long time. I like the plant and do not regret that I bought it!

gerrit's picture

gerrit (not verified)

Tue, 12/09/2014 - 12:55pm

Hello Dave

 

How are your Epimedium seedlings doing? Are some of them in bloom now?