Epimedium epsteinii

Barrenwort Berberidaceae

A splendid species with flowers that look as though someone has carefully painted each one for maximum contrast. Epimedium epsteinii was discovered in 1994 by Darrell Probst, who collected the type as CPC 94.0255 in the Tianping Shan mountains of Hunan, China. It was named by William Stearn in honour of the late American plantsman Harold Epstein, an outstanding grower and collector of Epimediums. 

A compact, evergreen species, it forms dense mats of glossy, dark green, bristle-edged leaflets. In spring, stems to around 25cm carry up to 30 flowers, each with broad, pure-white inner sepals and contrasting wine-purple petals and long spurs. The combination is particularly striking, while its spreading rhizomes make it an excellent woodland groundcover. 

It is native only to Tianping Shan in Hunan, making it one of the more geographically restricted Chinese Epimediums. Recent taxonomic research has confirmed E. epsteinii as a distinct species. 

Best in partial shade and humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil, though surprisingly tolerant once established.

Height: 15–25cm

Spread: 30–50cm

Flowering: March–April | Foliage: Evergreen
Hardiness: H6 (-20 to -15°C