Epimedium x rubrum
BISHOP'S HAT, BISHOP'S MITRE
Family: Berberidaceae
Pronounced: ep-ee-MEE-dee-um REW-brum
Quick Jumps
Growing Guide
Rainy Side Notes
GROWING GUIDE
Origin:
Garden.
Plant Group:
Perennial.
Hardiness:
Sunset zones: 1-9, 14-17.
USDA zones: 4-8.
Heat zones:8-1.
Mature size:
Height:12 inches (15-30 cm).
Width: 12 inches (30 cm).
Flowering period:
Mid to late spring.
Flowering attributes:
Three quarter-inch crimson and creamy yellow flowers with upward curving spurs blossom in late March.
Leaf attributes:
Heart-shaped, flushed red when leaves are young, turning red and bronze in autumn. In between the leaves are shiny and green. Leaves remain throughout winter.
Growth habit:
Clump forming.
Light:
Partial shade.
Soil:
Humus rich, fertile, well-drained, dry to medium soil.
Propagation Methods:
Divide in autumn or after flowering.
Pruning Methods:
Shear plants back to the ground in late winter, to allow the flowers and new leaf growth to be seen.
Rainy Side Notes
Epimedium x rubrum is an exciting addition to any shady garden.
Dutch gardener André Donckelaar (1783-1858) crossed Epimedium grandiflorum with E. alpinum and produced this handsome perennial, which Charles Morren named E. x rubrum in 1854. Joseph Hooker at Kew, not knowing its origins, thought it was a large-flowered cultivar of E. alpinum. In recent years, Darrell Probst, owner of Garden Vision Nursery (a nursery specializing in Epimediums), disagrees, saying, "…the colorful spring foliage could only come from Epimedium sempervirens 'Violet Queen'."
Whatever its lineage, the foliage is outstanding on this tough little partial shade plant, making it a choice ground cover for dry, shady positions. However, the red coloring on new leaves in spring is more intense in full sun, a place where it will need more water during our drought in summer. The perennial creeps about four inches a year. When using them to cover the ground, plant 18 inches apart; they will grow together in two seasons, creating a solid mass of beautiful foliage. Plant them in a sheltered area from cold winds.
Epimedium x rubrum is a 2005 Great Plant Pick.
Photographed in author's garden.
Gardening for the Homebrewer: Grow and Process Plants for Making Beer, Wine, Gruit, Cider, Perry, and More
By co-authors Debbie Teashon (Rainy Side Gardeners) and Wendy Tweton
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