Epimedium 2012

[Geo F-W]

Well Ernie, as I said to you by PM, the nursery is in France and there is no mail order.
But I am always available to send by airmail, I live near the nursery.

I'll post new pictures soon because this weekend held the first open days devoted to Epimedium, so I would take a certain amount of pictures...
It will be for next week because I am going to discover the spring flora of Andalusia on Tuesday. ^^



This one is new in my collection, with beautiful very very small flowers.



I like this one, new too, because it's high with a beautiful color. On the second photo (n°6), on the left, there is an hybrid of 'The Giant', very high, but not yet in bloom...

[McDonough]

Ernie, always exciting to see the first bloom on a seedling epimedium.  I have many in bud too, but they're holding back until it gets a bit warmer.  Show us again when the flowers open.  Do you have an idea about what parents might be involved?

Gerrit, there's nothing happier than a freshly sprouting epimedium garden, the leaves are nearly translucent and virtually glow when backlit with sun.  I agree that the foliage might be the most exciting part of growing Epimediums.

Geoffrey, looks like your season is the most advanced.  I do like the "very very" small flowered hybrid with hot coral colored flowers, the upright branching flower stems present the little flowers well.

Some of my too-early-sprouting epimediums got whacked by hard freezing after our unusual summer-like weather last month, but they'll all recover.  Yes, E. versicolor 'Versicolor' is always among the earliest for me, I upload another photo as the flowers fill in and create a 60 cm wide bouquet of soft peach and yellow.  Also shown, is a flat of E. grandiflorum 'Circe' open-pollinated seed that was sown summer 2011, germinating well.

 

[ErnieC123]

I like this one : Epimedium pallidum


And now i have got a problem. This is called Epimedium grandiflorum D23, but it is evergreen () and flowers yellow ()
Maybe somebody can help me, what it is....

[Lori S.]

Hi, Ernie,
What was your source for Epimedium pallidum?  Apparently, it is not actually a valid species name.  I got what was indicated as Epimedium pallidum from Fraser's Thjimble Farms some years ago (and they still list this "species" in their catalogue), however, it was later identified by Ms. Probst as Epimedium x versicolor perralchicum 'SulphureumFrohnleiten'.  I'm just wondering what is floating around under this odd name?

[ErnieC123]

Hi, Ernie,
What was your source for Epimedium pallidum?  Apparently, it is not actually a valid species name.  I got what was indicated as Epimedium pallidum from Fraser's Thjimble Farms some years ago (and they still list this "species" in their catalogue), however, it was later identified by Ms. Probst as Epimedium x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'.  I'm just wondering what is floating around under this odd name?

I have it from a nursery in germany, where i work. But i don't know where we have it from. I am sorry(i will ask my chef). But i am 100% sure that it isn't a 'Frohnleiten'. Problems with names i know too. That's really disgusting. I hate wrong named plants.

[McDonough]

It has also been discussed on SRGC Forum, regarding what Epimedium "pallidum" actually is.  The one thing for certain, there is no Epimedium species named pallidum.  Typically it is a misnomer for E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'.

http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=3374.msg87326#msg87326
Epimedium "pallidum" is E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'

My discussion on the name "pallidum".  Note: the name is also misapplied as a cultivar of grandiflorum; as E. grandiflorum 'Pallidum'.
http://www.srgc.org.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4769.msg131282#msg131282

Ernie, in your first photo above, the plant certainly looks like E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'.

The one that was labeled as "Epimedium grandiflorum D23" is not an E. grandiflorum type, but I'm fairly certain it is E. franchetii, although it could also be the similar species E. chlorandrum.

[Lori S.]

Oh, yes, Mark.  My "E. pallidum" was actually ID'd as E. x versicolor 'Sulphureum'.  (I was going off memory and got it wrong.)

[gerrit]

A view on my Epimedium-row. Underneath a part of my fern collection, still dormant.

[McDonough]

Looking good there Gerrit, with your eppies raised up like that, it must provide good viewing for those species with shy of semi-concealed flowers.  Do your ferns grow up and over the eppies, are they planted this way to provide shade for the epimediums in summer?  I'd really like to see the same view when the ferns fronds are aloft, good dual use of space to have eppies in bloom while ferns are still dormant.

[Zonedenial]

Out of about 75 varieties in our garden, E. Pink Champagne may be my favorite; lovely colors, large flowers, nicely spotted foliage, and a long time in bloom.

[gerrit]

Out of about 75 varieties in our garden, E. Pink Champagne may be my favorite; lovely colors, large flowers, nicely spotted foliage, and a long time in bloom.

Good to have another Epimedium lover on the forum. Wellcome!
Your start, with that wonderful "Pink Champagne' is a very good start, because it's one of the species which are not available in Western Europe, as far as I know. And I am jealous like hell.

[gerrit]

Looking good there Gerrit, with your eppies raised up like that, it must provide good viewing for those species with shy of semi-concealed flowers.  Do your ferns grow up and over the eppies, are they planted this way to provide shade for the epimediums in summer?  I'd really like to see the same view when the ferns fronds are aloft, good dual use of space to have eppies in bloom while ferns are still dormant.

Wright Mark, 'space-sharing' in my garden. I have an open sunny garden with less shade.
In summer when the ferns reach their maximum size I have to cut some leaves indeed. I planned the size of ferns and the size of Epimediums. Some large ones like the wushanenses, are combined with the big ferns.
Here a picture from Oct 26 2011, a general view from my first floor and behind the Acer you see the ferns.

[RickR]

Really nice epimediums, everyone.  My few are not that photogenic yet.

Welcome to the forum, Don!  Glad to see you state-side.    You must have a wonderful garden, with all those epimediums and snowdrops, and all the other things you grow.  We'd love to see them all!
Your very special seed arrived yesterday.  Thank you so much!

[Hoy]

Really nice epimediums, everyone.  My few are not that photogenic yet.

Seconded! Some have started flowering today, or better I noticed the blooming today. Had some sun and nice (for me - that is +10C and no wind) temperature.
I got hold of a new plant yesterday, E. wushanense 'Sandy Claws'  Hope it will grow here!

[McDonough]

Gerrit, your photo shows well the dual-use garden space planting with ferns and eppies.  Your garden is beautiful, with the sloping rock garden and serene pool, anchored with a Japanese maple (what variety is it; Japanese maples is another area I could be totally caught up with, oh brother!).

Don, welcome to the forum, and particularly to the Epimedium topic .  Having 75 species and varieties is a good start  (actually, that's a pretty darn good collection). Is the photo of 'Pink Champagne' from this year or a previous year.  My 'Pink Champagne' is just emerging, although 'Domino', a few feet away, and from the same cross, is starting to flower.

Here are a couple "eppie" views, the first showing a garden view with E. brachyrrhizum in the background, and the second is a closeup view of the same species.