Epimedium pubescens 'Shaanxi Forms' CC 022556

Barrenwort Berberidaceae

A modestly named Epimedium with considerably more going on than “Shaanxi Forms” might suggest. This particularly good clone, Cc 022556, was obtained from Koen Van Poucke and is one of several Shaanxi forms selected for their superior garden performance. 

Epimedium pubescens is native to central and eastern China, including Shaanxi, Sichuan, Gansu and Chongqing, where it grows in woodland and mountain habitats. The species name refers to the fine hairs found on the undersides of the leaflets. 

This form makes a handsome evergreen clump, with bronze- and crimson-flecked new leaves maturing to glossy dark green, each leaflet armed with neat spiny margins. In spring, airy panicles rise above the foliage carrying clouds of small, starry white flowers with tiny yellow spurs—quantity rather than flower size being the great attraction.

A particularly useful woodland Epimedium, with the Shaanxi forms proving hardier than many plants of the species, and notably tolerant once established. Excellent in shade or partial shade and capable of coping with drier conditions than its delicate appearance suggests. 

Height: 30–40cm | Spread: 40–50cm
Flowering: March–May | Foliage: Evergreen
Hardiness: H5 (-23 to -15°C)