Thanks for posting all of your photos! I love these plants, they grow and thrive where others don’t. I have 5 of these now, only two varieties. They are difficult to find where I live. Any good online sources for epimedium?

Sherry

Both Far Reaches Farms and Plant Delights nurseries carry good selections. But these are not inexpensive plants so be prepared for some sticker shock!!

i will yell ... THX FOR THE PIX/POST ....

i have never seen most of these ... great collection.. thx again ..

ken

Epimediums are one of my favorites. They are so bulletproof. Very pretty varieties you have. Would love to see more. :-)

They seed around for me, and most of the volunteer seedlings are quite nice. The ones I started with were mostly species available locally at reasonable perennial prices.

They are just starting to bloom here.

Sherry and others

Garden Vision Epimediums

Best source possible!! Karen is a good family friend of mine whom we have known since she was a teen. Virtually all of my Epis came from her. Her Ex actually introduced many-many of the current plants into commerce after finding many new species on his various collecting trips to China. I have several plants in my collection which are as-yet unknown species still un documented in the botanical literature.

Thank you for the nice pics! They are all beautiful. Your specimen interests are quite varied and impressive. There's just something about Epimediums, I can't quite put my finger on it but they are regal! Do any of your's ever self sow? A friend just had one mysteriously pop up in her yard and I was wondering. Talking to you makes me think about ordering a couple Stapeliads lol. Keep up the good work!

That's exactly where I've bought 90% of my epimediums too. I started buying from Jane's husband before Jane took over the business. I've been vey happy with them. Mine have never reseeded that I am aware of. I have divided and increased them. They are especially good plants to grow under trees.

Jay

They self seed all over the place. They used to be called 'Barrenwort" because they are totally self-sterile and back in 1800s there was only one variety around. In reality, they are virtually 100% cross fertile across all species in the genus. I have isolated 2 clones of some species to get species exact seedlings , but mostly just let them bee pollinate and enjoy the variety. Most of the evergreen species seem to grow better down here than up in Mass, so every time Karen come down we exchange stuff. Her Mother is our next-door neighbor.

And it has always been my understanding that these were called barrenwort because the root extract was used to prevent females conceiving, although there is little documentation of this in herbal literature. Has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and is known in China as Yin Yang Huo or "horny goat weed".......let your imagination take you to where that might be applicable :-) No need for any little blue pills!

We have a few epimediums here - they are hard to find and expensive! The pictures at the top of the thread but LOL they made me think of baby spiders hatching en masse! :-)

One of my favorites.... 'Bandit'

The european epis are bomb-proof in my dry soil, but I do have a wushanense which seems to be made of stern stuff. This is a genus I have not grown myself - a classic collection plant beloved of commercial nurseries. So, being both cheap and broke, I have been testing the few I have to destruction before considering paying £££ for an uncertain life in the woods. However, I have been a tad surprised at their general persistence in the face of thuggery.

Prairiemoon

Bandit was one of the first ones I got way back in 2001. Since then, I've been really liking the spiny leaved evergreen ones.

Campanula

I have 2 clones of E. wushanense. One is the standard form, and the other is the so-called 'Spiny Leaved' form. Both are really lovely here and the odd infloresence seems similar on both. The old 'Caramel' was first said to be a wushanense, but it is now ascribed to a different and probably undescribed species. Actually my favorite of all my epis is one similar to it which has over 100 lovely taffy colored flowers on a spike about 35-40 inches tall.

I should be adding more this spring for sure.

I had an experience one year, when I was dividing and moving epimediums, that I somehow overlooked a division that was just lying on the ground. Perhaps it became covered w leaves - it was the fall. I didn't discover it for a few weeks and I just assumed it was dead and threw it on the compost pile. The next spring it started growing in the compost pile. [g] Definitely they are drought tolerant and that is why I consider them bulletproof.

Weird coincidence--I just saw epimediums in a garden center for the first time yesterday here in Blairstown, NJ. They were priced about 50% higher than other perennials in the same sized container.

Violetsnapdragon - they are a little higher priced, but there are also some more common varieties that are very reasonable. I've bought a number of them for $8. a piece and few that were more than $15. Many of the varieties now available were obtained on trips to China and other areas. They are not flashy and as pretty as they are when in flower, the flowers are small and sometimes hidden under the foliage and don't last long. For the most part they are a foliage plant all season. If you get one where the foliage turns red in the fall, then you have another season of interest.

The value in growing epimedium, is when you have a location, like under trees, where not a lot else will grow. epimediums, excel in that situation. They also are easy to grow. Don't seem to be picky about soil, are very drought tolerant once established, and in my garden, have never been bothered by any pest. They also are a very long lived perennial. Some will spread well, others will slowly enlarge and stay put and just look better every year. For me, I plant them and forget them, basically.

LOL. I too have bought them at $6-8 but also at $75-100. Some of the newer ones can be really high, but many really nice ones can be had reasonably from on-line sources.

Thanks for the info, Prairiemoon. I am definitely more attracted to the leaves than the flowers anyway. For years I would see them in garden magazine photos and never see them for sale anywhere--I will fit them in somewhere!