A UK National Collection

Epimediums

Distribution – Japan,  the western side of, Honshu and Hokkaido).

Description – A medium sized fairly evergreen species which is very similar to E. grandiflorum, but differing in it being more evergreen. The latter species also tends to have a second flush of taller foliage, after its spring  flowering , whereas this doesn’t happen so much with E. sempervirens.  The flower colour as with E. grandiflorum varies, with white, reddish and purple being found.  There are nowhere near as many cultivars named as with E. grandiflorum .

Epimedium sempervirens ‘Candy Hearts’ is a cultivar whose name refers to the conspicuous maroon edges to the young heart shaped leaflets at flowering time. This has received a lot of enthusiastic interest from the public when we have shown it Plant Heritage plant fairs. We were given this by Bob Brown of Cotswold Garden Flowers nursery. It was a little slow with us to start with, but has grown satisfactorily in the garden for a couple of years.

Epimedium sempervirens 'Candy Hearts'