Epimedium 'King Prawn'

Barrenwort Berberidaceae

A name that sounds better on a restaurant menu than in a plant catalogue, but fortunately the plant itself is considerably more elegant. Epimedium ‘King Prawn’ is a vigorous evergreen hybrid raised by Julian Sutton of Desirable Plants in Devon, from a cross between E. latisepalum and E. wushanense. It was subsequently introduced into cultivation and has become a particularly admired large-growing Epimedium. 

The handsome, elongated evergreen leaves emerge heavily mottled and flushed with red, eventually becoming dark green and providing an excellent backdrop to the spring display. From April into May, generous sprays of large, long-spurred flowers appear above the foliage, creamy-white with a distinctive pink to shrimp-orange centre. Hence the name—and once seen, it is surprisingly difficult to unsee the resemblance.

A particularly robust choice for woodland planting, it is tolerant of dry shade once established but appreciates humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil when young. Excellent beneath trees and shrubs, where its evergreen foliage provides year-round groundcover.

Height: 40–60cm
Spread: 50–70cm
Flowering: April–May
Hardiness: H5–H6