Epimedium 2011

[McDonough]

I have lots and lots of hybrids from E. grandiflorum 'Dark Beauty'.  They are easy to spot, as they inherit the rich coffee-toffee-mocha foliage coloration.  Since these are bee hybrids, they hybridized with epimediums planted close by, such as E. grandiflorum 'Larchmont' (pale lavender and white), E. grandiforum f. flavescens 'La Rocaille', youngianum 'Liliputian', E. sempervirens, etc.  Observing these hybrid plants, one can see the potential if they were deliberately crossed with more colorful flowered species, otherwise, much of the resulting plants are rather bland so far as the flowers.

E. grandiflorum hybrid from 'Dark Beauty' with long narrow leaves (shows E. gr. f. flavescens influence):




E. grandiflorum hybrid from 'Dark Beauty' with rounded leaves, showing influence by E. sempervirens or E. x sasakii:




Other hybrids
Left:     hybrid with colorful foliage and cream flowers
Center: hybrid with red-brown-edged foliage and lavender flowers
Right:   hybrid with glossy burnished leaves and pale lavender flowers

[cohan]

  Having said that, we only get some mosquitoes and a few black flies here... 
"No-see-um" netting has long been available as tent screening and works like a charm; perhaps it's available for windows too?

Numerous kinds of flies here, but none of them biting fortunately Horseflies, but they rarely seem to get around to doing anything other than buzz around...
Worth looking into the no-see-um netting! I can wave them off, but some people are driven to distraction...lol

[McDonough]

For Gerrit, here are two views of E. grandiflorum 'Pierre's Purple'.  The foliage color and general look on many of these grandiflorums changes quickly, but this is a snapshot in time where there is both dark foliage and flowers, the foliage will lighten up quickly in the days to come.  The flowers are not so plentiful, nor are they anything special (not particularly purple either).

E. grandiflorum 'Pierre's Purple'




Next to it I have E. grandiflorum 'Mt. Kitadake Purple', which is later to leaf out and develop, nice flowers but again not floriferous thus not much of a show.  I could easily live without either of them.  Later in the summer I can tell the two apart by the way the leaves layer into dense leafy clumps, with new leaves showing some dark tones.

E. grandiflorum 'Mt. Kitadake Purple'

[gerrit]

Yes Mark, the short period of emerging with bronze foliage is the most lovely period of the epimedium-cycle. In my garden, with the flowering season almost done, there is definitely much to see. The  colourchanging of the second offspring of new leaves is interesting and every plant looks different and beautiful.

It's intriguing what you're gone do with those 120 hybrids underneath the Cornus Kousa. Normally one need days for labelling, digging and potting, registrating and so on. And that's only your bee- pollinated part. You did not tell us yet about your hybridization project from last year.

[gerrit]

Tomorrow starts the 3 day Epimedium extravaganza here in Central Massachusetts, as Garden Visions has its annual sale. Over the past few years I've brought home about a dozen Epimedium species and hybrids, but the one that I look for first when I go out to the garden is E. x versicolor 'Versicolor.' The leaves and the flowers look almost too perfectly matched, and it's grown to a very impressive size in 3 years. It's easily my favorite, and tomorrow I'll bring home at least one more of this beauty, plus a few more I've lusted after for years.

Hi Peter, how was your day at Garden Vision Epimedium? Did you bring back some cute little epimediums?
Your E x 'Be my Valentine' looks super as well as your E.brevicornu, who ought to be a slow growing specie.

[McDonough]

Yes Mark...
It's intriguing what you're gone do with those 120 hybrids underneath the Cornus Kousa. Normally one need days for labelling, digging and potting, registrating and so on. And that's only your bee- pollinated part. You did not tell us yet about your hybridization project from last year.

The young plants under my Cornus kousa tree can stay there for up to 3 years before getting overcrowded.  This bed is currently a mix of 1, 2, and some 3-year plants... the older ones will be judged this season and moved out into the garden or marked for giveaway.

Left:  mixed 2-3 year hybrids; right: E. davidii EMR seedling... looking similar to the parent.


Seedlings, seedlings, seedlings, that will be the challenge this year.  Four flats of Epimedium on the left and center, 2 flats of Jeffersonia on the right.  I'm going to ask my wife to row-out some of the seedlings in a new bed.



Left: two views of a hybrid between E. x youngianum 'Freckles' x grandiflorum 'Princess Susan'; in one view the speckling can be seen better.  Has the clearer pink and white flowers of 'Princess Susan'.  Right: two views of E. gr. 'Princess Susan'.
 


Epimedium hybrid "Mark's Star" (on the left) has a companion on the right, a hybrid of similar form and narrow pointy stars, in softest pale lilac.

[WimB]

Our 'gnats' are actually called Black Flies, which are sometimes referred to as 'Buffalo Gnats' since they have a sort of hump in their back. They are small, black blood sucking insects which are actually more painful and irritating than mosquitoes because the females literally slash the skin and lick up the blood as it pools. Black flies breed in flowing water from rivers and streams. After mating the female deposits the fertilized eggs on rocks or other substrate in swift flowing water. Larvae emerge from eggs and develop aquatically, feeding on algae and organic matter flowing by in the moving water. In 7-10 days they develop into pupae. Adults emerge from the pupal case through a slit and float to the surface on a bubble of air. Emerging adults live from 2-3 weeks. They are usually found from spring through fall, with the greatest numbers appearing in the late spring and summer. They are active during the day, with peak activity in the morning and early evening. Here in MA we get them for about 1 month, and for that period, insect repellent is essential, unless you are a masochist.

I'm finally learning how to take pictures, given the necessity of not embarrassing myself here on the Forum. I may even get a better camera, and possibly even take a few lessons! Here is E. brevicornu, about 3 years old, growing in east end of my garden, with morning and late afternoon sun.

No gnats over here, from what you guys have told, I'm very glad we don't have them over here!

[WimB]

Wim: following up on your request, here is a photo showing the face-view of the flowers on "Mark's Star"  Clean white inside.

Very nice Mark, I'd buy a 'Mark's Star' if it were for sale, it's one of the best hybrids you have shown here. Although the cross between 'Princess Susan' and 'Freckles' is very nice too.

[gerrit]

Mark, a nursery here in Holland have listed a number of epimediums in their catalogue and I wonder if they exist or well-labelled.
Please help me to find out and give your opinion.

Epimedium warleyense 'Koper" and Epimedium lilacinum. Are they fairytale epimediums?
Epimedium "Creeping Yellow" This is interesting. It's listed by a nursery in Lilliesleaf, Scotland. I tried to visit this nursery last year, when I was on a vacation in Scotland, but the nursery didn't exist anymore. What happened with this epimedium. Could it appear now in Holland? I saw it also somewhere in the US.
Epimedium "Violet Queen". Maybe there is an Epimedium sempervirens "Violet Queen" PDN perhaps?

And for fun, 2 pictures of my young plant Epimedium wushanense "Caramel", blooming for the first time

[RickR]

Gerrit, that foliage is way cool! 

I would grow it just for that!

[McDonough]

Gerrit, will reply as soon as I can, hopefully this weekend.  Next week I'm off-site traveling to various sites for work, and this weekend is 200% booked, must prepare for a conference where I'm presenting (also for work).  I think I liked being unemployed much better.  Please bear with me.

[McDonough]

Mark, a nursery here in Holland have listed a number of epimediums in their catalogue and I wonder if they exist or well-labelled.
Please help me to find out and give your opinion.

Epimedium warleyense 'Koper" and Epimedium lilacinum. Are they fairytale epimediums?
Epimedium "Creeping Yellow" This is interesting. It's listed by a nursery in Lilliesleaf, Scotland. I tried to visit this nursery last year, when I was on a vacation in Scotland, but the nursery didn't exist anymore. What happened with this epimedium. Could it appear now in Holland? I saw it also somewhere in the US.
Epimedium "Violet Queen". Maybe there is an Epimedium sempervirens "Violet Queen" PDN perhaps?

And for fun, 2 pictures of my young plant Epimedium wushanense 'Caramel', blooming for the first time

I believe E. warleyense 'Koper' is a language-translation issue, and not a valid cultivar.  The only links to the name source as Romanian, and google comes up with such terms as "koper-oranje" describing the flowers... I have to believe this is just language semantics and not an actual cultivar name.

The name E. "lilacinum" seems to be applied to either E. glandiflorum 'Lilacinum' or E. x youngianum 'Lilacinum'. Prossibly inconsequential and not worth troubling over.

E. 'Creeping Yellow' represents dubious marketing... the plant a rather mundane white-flowered plant, but "gets its name from foliage that is pale yellowish-green". It is reported to have "emerging leaves rimmed with copper and bronze and mottled with red speckles."  The name "creeping yellow" seems misleading or a poor choice.
http://www.stonyfordcottagenursery.co.uk/epimedium-creeping-yellow-bare-root-p-287.html
http://www.munchkinnursery.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=57

Your Epimedium wushanense 'Caramel' is awesome, I want to obtain this one badly!

[McDonough]

A hurried post, last year I selected a very small Epimedium hybrid seedling with tiny light pink flowers, but it's the neat clump of speckled foliage that is an interest... I like it:




So many Epimedium have flowered, are in flower, and ready to flower; I hope to catch up.  Here's one that I don't think I've shown before, E. grandiflorum 'Circe' (left); really nice bright flowers above the foliage.  Also, a first glimpse at the late-to-emerge high alpine selection of E. grandiflorum named 'Cranberry Sparkle' (right); both are Garden Vision Epimedium introductions.  Cranberry Sparkle has flower buds are dark-red-purple from above, an awesome cultivar.




The next two views show another 3-year hybrid that I like, with light white-pink sepals from above, but purplish-plum petals and center, catching my eye.  Will wait to see how it clumps up in years 4-5 to make a determination.

[Lori S.]

What an amazing sight your garden must be!!    From these little snippets of photos, it looks simply fantastic!

[McDonough]

Thanks Lori, I'll be posting some general garden views this weekend... the Epimediums make it easy for the garden to look nice