Epimedium 'Jinto Shan'

Barrenwort Berberidaceae

A particularly intriguing Barrenwort, ‘Jinto Shan’ is a rare, naturally occurring hybrid from Jinfo Shan (Golden Buddha Mountain) in Chongqing, China, rather than a conventional garden hybrid. It forms a handsome clump of divided foliage, attractively mottled when young, above which appear elegant purple flowers in April and May. The combination of handsome foliage, early flowers and a distinctly wild provenance gives it considerably more character than its rather cryptic nursery name suggests. 

The nomenclature is worth keeping straight. ‘Jinto Shan’ is a horticultural name, not the name of a botanical species. The mountain from which the plant takes its name is now associated with the recently described species Epimedium jinfoshanensis H.P.Deng & Y.W.Zuo, published in 2023 from Jinfo Mountain in Chongqing. Kew currently accepts E. jinfoshanensis as a distinct species. 

However, we should not automatically equate ‘Jinto Shan’ with E. jinfoshanensis: the cultivated plant has a pre-existing horticultural identity, and I have found no authoritative evidence establishing that equivalence. 

A lovely choice for the woodland garden, particularly in humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil where its young foliage can be appreciated at close quarters.

Height: 30–45cm
Spread: 40–60cm
Flowering: April–May
Hardiness: H5
Aspect: Partial to full shade
Soil: Moist, humus-rich and well drained

• Nomenclature note: ‘Jinto Shan’ is retained here as a horticultural name. Kew accepts the recently described species* Epimedium jinfoshanensis from Jinfo Mountain, but there is currently insufficient evidence to state that the cultivated ‘Jinto Shan’ is identical to that species.