Epimedium 'Space Wagon'

Barrenwort Berberidaceae

Fasten your seatbelts: ‘Space Wagon’ is an Epimedium with considerably more horsepower than the average woodland groundcover. This impressive evergreen hybrid was raised by Thierry Delabroye in France and is prized for its unusually large, boldly coloured flowers and handsome foliage. 

The large leaves emerge attractively marked and flushed, becoming dark green and reddish-brown speckled as they mature. From April into June, the real spectacle arrives: exceptionally large, showy flowers in contrasting yellow and reddish tones, held above the foliage on wiry stems. The blooms can reach around 4cm across—enormous by Epimedium standards. 

An excellent plant for difficult dry shade, ‘Space Wagon’ is evergreen, gradually forming a substantial clump and providing useful year-round groundcover. Give it humus-rich, reasonably moisture-retentive soil when establishing, after which it is impressively tolerant of the root competition found beneath trees and shrubs.

A particularly good choice where an Epimedium is required to make an entrance rather than merely fill a gap.

Height: 35–50cm
Spread: 50–70cm
Flowering: April–June
Hardiness: H5