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Author Topic: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here  (Read 227547 times)

TheOnionMan

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #855 on: February 24, 2018, 09:16:16 PM »
I seem to remember a nurseryman telling me that some of the epimediums should NOT have their leaves cut off. I can't recall which ones he was referring to. Does anyone here know about this?

In my climate in New England (Massachusetts), with major difference between growing season and real hard winters with frozen ground for months, with or without snowcover (in 2015 we had 4 meters of snow in Jan-Feb), foliage on evergreen Epimedium isn't doing that much and can be cut off in autumn or winter without detriment to the perennating roots/rhizomes. For evergreen Epimediums, I typically do leave the foliage on, and see how they look in late winter/early spring, if all beaten up the foliage is sheared off. This year the evergreen ones are looking okay so far, a relatively mild Feb, and some of the more reliable evergreen ones (such as pubigerum, pinnatum ssp. colchicum, wushanense, ilicifolum) look like they might only need a judicious bit of leaf clean-up.
Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA (near the New Hampshire border)
USDA Zone 5
antennaria at aol.com

Jacek

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #856 on: February 24, 2018, 11:22:10 PM »
Thank you for info.

4 meters of snow - I understand you ordered winter cover for your tender roses  ;)

We are much dryer, we never see a lot of snow on our lowlands.
Jacek, Poland, USDA zone 6, lowland borderline continental/maritime climate.
Hobby woodland gardening

Gabriela

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #857 on: February 25, 2018, 01:28:01 AM »
In my climate in New England (Massachusetts), with major difference between growing season and real hard winters with frozen ground for months, with or without snowcover (in 2015 we had 4 meters of snow in Jan-Feb), foliage on evergreen Epimedium isn't doing that much and can be cut off in autumn or winter without detriment to the perennating roots/rhizomes. For evergreen Epimediums, I typically do leave the foliage on, and see how they look in late winter/early spring, if all beaten up the foliage is sheared off. This year the evergreen ones are looking okay so far, a relatively mild Feb, and some of the more reliable evergreen ones (such as pubigerum, pinnatum ssp. colchicum, wushanense, ilicifolum) look like they might only need a judicious bit of leaf clean-up.

I do the same here; today I actually did some gardening for the first time this season! and I removed the foliage on stellulatum and lischichenii. I couldn't stand to see it so bad looking.
Gabriela
Ontario, zone 5
http://botanicallyinclined.org/

Gabriela

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #858 on: February 25, 2018, 01:34:26 AM »
Well, why? Good question.

I do not have many epimediums, they grow mainly in my mind now. I lost quite a few during harsh winter a few years ago - they were newly planted. Moreover, I planted some in places that are too bad - too dark, too dry, just too bad.

So I can find two reasons for my silly question:

1. I have some epimediums growing together with early bulbs, so I would like to cut the leaves of epimediums early. Sometimes early means late (IE, in autumn).

2.I have an idee fixe of surface composting. And I do: first, I called a piece of my garden "a forest". There are old trees there and the bottom is covered with dense growth of Convallaria majalis, die this was a starting point 12 years ago when I moved here. This became both my compost "flat heap" and a woodland garden. For 12 years I have spread all leaves, small wood branches etc over this area - each year 20-25 cm fresh material - not chopped like Ian does. Plants have to cope with these strange conditions and only some do. So, after this long introduction - where are the epimediums?? They are not there, they would lose the competition with convallaria. I just wonder - if I had another new garden, without convallaria, would epimediums play its role? Would they survive covering each year with 20 cm of leaves? Including walnut leaves? This would destroy their leaves in November.

As you see, all those beautiful epimediums grow happily, but only in my mind now. Thank you for your answer.

Jacek - you should have started with this first... I don't think the conditions you described are suited for the evergreens Epimedium spp. and not only because of the foliage.
But you could try a couple of the deciduous ones, or hybrids; they are more resistant to drought/ competition and their foliage would not pose a problem. Plus they are not as expensive as the evergreens so you won't feel bad if it doesn't work :)
Gabriela
Ontario, zone 5
http://botanicallyinclined.org/

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #859 on: February 28, 2018, 08:56:22 AM »
In my garden wild hares eat evergreen Epimedium leaves in most winters. They even dig them from the snow if they are covered with snow. Epimediums don't seem to mind this, but these are the most common ones (E.x rubrum and 'Sulphureum').
This picture is from early January when there wasn't yet so much snow as right now. Hares ate the leaves but left the stems.
Leena from south of Finland

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #860 on: February 28, 2018, 08:57:47 AM »
One of the prettiest Epimedium I have, 'Arctic Wings'. This is deciduous.
Leena from south of Finland

Jacek

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #861 on: February 28, 2018, 02:47:33 PM »
Leena, I don't invite hares to my garden so they don't come. ;D

Leena and Gabriela, thank you for suggestions, I will try.
Jacek, Poland, USDA zone 6, lowland borderline continental/maritime climate.
Hobby woodland gardening

TheOnionMan

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #862 on: February 28, 2018, 07:59:02 PM »
One of the prettiest Epimedium I have, 'Arctic Wings'. This is deciduous.

Leena, your lovely plant is Epimedium diphyllum, see these links to compare:
http://www.epimediums.com/e-diphyllum/

Arctic Wings' is a cross between latisepalum and ogisui, two evergreen species
https://www.plantdelights.com/products/epimedium-arctic-wings

in the link below, scroll down to near the bottom
http://epimedium.info/en/a.html

http://www.johnjearrard.co.uk/plants/epimedium/epimediumarcticwings/species.html
« Last Edit: February 28, 2018, 08:01:28 PM by TheOnionMan »
Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA (near the New Hampshire border)
USDA Zone 5
antennaria at aol.com

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #863 on: March 03, 2018, 12:10:10 PM »
Leena, your lovely plant is Epimedium diphyllum

Thank you! :) I hadn't even thought it was something else than what it was bought as, and I don't know enough about Epimediums. :-[
This plant has been hardy here over some very cold winters and also increased in size, so it is a good plant.

Leena from south of Finland

TheOnionMan

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #864 on: March 05, 2018, 02:39:24 AM »
Thank you! :) I hadn't even thought it was something else than what it was bought as, and I don't know enough about Epimediums. :-[
This plant has been hardy here over some very cold winters and also increased in size, so it is a good plant.

You're welcome Leena. I'm very fond of the small deciduous Epimedium, their delicate appearance belies their tough constitution and hardiness.

You might be interested in these two spontaneous hybrids that showed up in my garden, each is 3 year old. First two show a very small growing plant with TINY white florets and palest peach-yellow cups + 2nd flush of mottled evergreen foliage, I have no idea what it crossed with.  The second pair is more interesting, a small plant with clean white diphyllum flowers double-triple normal size, and mostly facing upwards. In the last photo with my hand holding a stem (to hold it still while strong winds blow), my thumbnail is 1.5cm across, the flowers are bigger than that. Fun little happenings in the Epimedium garden.
Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA (near the New Hampshire border)
USDA Zone 5
antennaria at aol.com

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #865 on: March 05, 2018, 12:59:16 PM »
Those are very nice looking plants,and a lovely foliage also.  :) I will have to try to see next summer if there are seeds in my E.diphyllum. After getting over feeling bad about having gotten a wrong plant, I am now pleased to have it, because it is such a nice plant anyway, and being species it might produce seeds. :)
I have to take pictures of my Epimediums this year and post them here to see if I have other plants with wrong names! Epimediums are not easy to buy in Finland (except a couple of the most common ones).
Leena from south of Finland

TheOnionMan

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #866 on: March 07, 2018, 12:50:54 AM »
Leena, Epimediums are self-infertile, they need more than one clone of the same species, or any other Epimedium species or cultivar in close proximity, for seed to occur. In other words, if you get seed, the seedlings will be hybrids. Only way to get more of the true plant, species or cultivar, is to vegetatively divide the plant.
Mark McDonough
Massachusetts, USA (near the New Hampshire border)
USDA Zone 5
antennaria at aol.com

Véronique Macrelle

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #867 on: March 07, 2018, 06:26:29 AM »
Mark,

your small spontaneous seedling with white flowers is remarkable!


last year, I was given 8 species of Epimedium. I'm watching them right now to watch for signs of new growth.
are they as easy to cultivate as hybrids?

Hybrids are never self-fertile either?


 I have this one without name, which comes from the garden of my mother, that could someone determine it?

« Last Edit: March 07, 2018, 06:28:56 AM by Véronique Macrelle »

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #868 on: March 07, 2018, 10:55:24 AM »
Leena, Epimediums are self-infertile, they need more than one clone of the same species, or any other Epimedium species or cultivar in close proximity, for seed to occur. In other words, if you get seed, the seedlings will be hybrids.

Thank you again! :)
I have this Epimedium growing close to E.diphyllum. I have bought it as Epimedium 'Tama-No-Genpei', but looking now at the pictures in the internet I suspect this is also something else. What do you think?
Leena from south of Finland

Leena

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Re: Epimedium - various threads gathered together here
« Reply #869 on: March 07, 2018, 11:09:41 AM »
I have this one without name, which comes from the garden of my mother, that could someone determine it?

A guess, could it be Epimedium x rubrum?
Here is flower of my plant. It is very tough and easily available.
Leena from south of Finland

 


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