The genus Epimedium is known to contain at least 60 species (most endemic to Asia) many of which hybridize easily producing numerous cultivars of subtle but unsurpassed beauty. Contained within the family Berberidaceae are some familiar garden stalwarts such as Mahonia, Berberis, and perhaps less familiar but of equal merit, Podophyllum, Jeffersonia and Vancouveria as well as the lovely Epimedium.

Common names are quite descriptive and evocative of foliar imagery. ‘Bishop’s Cap’ and ‘Fairy’s Wings’ both refer to the shape of the leaflets, while ‘Barrenwort’, and ‘Horny Goat Weed’ refer to purported aphrodisiacal qualities reported by an observant goat herder upon the consumption of said foliage by his charges.  While these qualities remain to be proven, the merits of these plants as ground cover for the dry shade area are beyond question. Unfortunately these lovely plants are often poorly known, and they are consequently underused and often of limited availability.

Quite slow growing (another reason for sometimes poor availability) they will nevertheless form a sizable clump due to spreading by rhizomes or underground stems. Woodland conditions suit them the best with an average to moist but well drained soil in light to full shade. But as already stated, once established even dry shade is well tolerated, even welcomed, and their drought tolerance is legendary. These plants are greatly valued by the knowledgeable gardener and landscape horticulturalist and should be more widely discussed and available.

E. grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’
A beautiful cultivar, easy to grow and among the largest and most vigorous of the available selections. Copious amounts of large spurred, lavender-lilac blooms appear in early spring and are held well above the emerging foliage, so there is no chance of missing them. The foliage is a soft tan to bronze with red tinges when first emerging but matures to a lovely clear green, returning again to burgundy and red with the cooler nights of autumn.
Height: 15” (35cm).  Spread: 18” (45cm).  USDA 4 - 8

E. perralchicum ‘Frohnleiten’
A slightly more demanding but very rewarding cultivar with bright yellow flowers each over an inch (2.5 cm) across, held in clusters above the fine foliage. The new leaves are a bronze pink at emergence from their buds and mature to a beautiful matte bronze for the fall, with of course a reliable green in the interim. ‘Frohnleiten’ prefers a location with a bit more moisture than some of her relatives, and a more sheltered location, drying winds and frostbite can be an issue, but in the right location this plant is superb.
Height: 12” (30 cm).  Spread: 18” (45 cm).  USDA 5 - 8.

E. versicolor ‘Sulphureum’
As the cultivar name implies this is another yellow flowering selection.  Actually the result of a cross between E. grandiflorum and E. pinnatum subsp. colchicum the happy result of which is this vigorous selection that is probably one of the easiest to grow and the best for landscaping situations as it establishes easily and spreads relatively rapidly. No worries about invasiveness however – no Epimedium spreads that fast. Often called the bicolor barrenwort since the sepals are a pale yellow while the petals are a deeper bright hue. The blooms are again held well above the emerging foliage which is reddish in spring and fall and a dark green during the summer.
Height: 10” (25 cm).  Spread: 18”-24” (45 cm- 60 cm).  USDA 4 - 9

E. youngianum ‘Niveum’
And now for something completely different — well not completely but somewhat different from the previous three cultivars. ‘Niveum’ is not evergreen, has pure white flowers and is much smaller in stature. Foliage again emerges with a burgundy-red tinge, matures to green and returns to red in the fall but reaches a height of only about 6” (15 cm). The white blooms are in no danger of being lost in the snow as they emerge much later in the spring than many other cultivars, possibly due to the parentage of this hybrid, being a cross between E. grandiflorum and  E. diphyllum.
Height: 6” (15 cm).  Spread: 18” (45 cm).  USDA 4 - 8