As I write this, it’s -3 degrees with a wind chill of about -15 degrees. This unseasonably freezing weather mid-January puts a lot of our garden plants to the test. One that scores all As is Epimedium.
Although epimedium might be more pricey than other perennials, it gives us four seasons in the garden – spring flowers, purple-green leaves in spring and summer and fully purple leaves in fall and winter.
Frequently recommended for dry shade, epimedium does much better when given a little bit of sun and a spit of water periodically. I first grew mine under the dense shade of the (soon to be gone) ash tree in my backyard. I moved plants to the front with east sun exposure under two native flowering dogwoods (Cornus florida), where they have thrived. Hellebores are epimediums’ companion plants in that bed, a combo that is evergreen year-round.
The flowers are wispy, and they slightly resemble a bishop’s mitre cap. And although flowers are attractive, it is epimedium’s foliage that makes this a keeper.
Epimedium maintenance is low key. You can cut them back in February before they bloom, or you can do nothing, and the new growth camouflages the old growth. I call that low maintenance.
