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 ‘ Murasaki’ is a purple flowered cultivar,  which we were given and flowered in a pot. Sadly we subsequently lost the plant, probably due to an unseasonably late frost, while it was still in its pot and well advanced in growth.

Epimedium sempervirens 'Murasaki'