Shade Perennial

Bishop's Hat, Barrenwort, Epimedium

Botanical Name: Epimedium spp.
Height: varies by species
Spread: Spreading habit, growth rate will vary by species
Exposure: Light Shade to Shade
Care: Cut to ground if necessary in late winter or very early spring before flowers emerge
Extremely Deer Resistant
Many species and cultivars are available of this workhouse plant. It will tolerate dry shade (once established) and is a tough, slow spreading groundcover with showy, delicate flowers that come in a wide variety of colors and bloom in early spring, before the new growth emerges. All have heart shaped leaves, dense foliage and are slow spreading. Evergreen to Semi-Evergreen. Epimedium rubrum has green leaves with red tinges on the edges. The foliage is about 9" tall and it has red flowers in early spring. Epimedium versicolor x 'Sulphureum' has masses of star shaped yellow flowers in April and bronze new growth maturing to green. The foliage height is about 12". These are just two of the more popular cultivars, there a many more available.