Thrives in Dry Shade -- with Ever-changing Color!
Evergreen north of zone 5.
Few groundcovers are easier or more attractive than Epimedium x rubrum, with its scarlet tones in spring and fall, its charming bicolored blooms early in the season, and its lush greenery in summer. Evergreen north of zone 5, it is quick-spreading, adaptable, and easy. Spring is the most glorious season for this year-round performer. The new foliage emerges a bright red-edged chartreuse, with some leaves almost entirely scarlet, while others are nicely divided between the two colors. The red tones remain until the hot summer weather arrives, at which point the foliage turns solid green. As soon as the cooler weather of autumn descends, the leaves turn scarlet again! This groundcover spreads 12 to 18 inches in shade, even the poor, dry shade beneath trees, where few plants are happy. Just 6 to 12 inches high, it is topped in spring by bicolored blooms of yellow and red, which dangle along very thin stems several inches above the foliage. Very showy! Epimedium x rubrum is that ideal groundcover, a perennial that is ready to spread and fill in but never to invade. The result of crosses between E. alpinum and E. grandiflorum, its heart-shaped foliage is lush and full, with no "holes" between branching stems, yet it won't choke out anything in its path, and is happy in quite poor soil, especially if pampered the first season or two with good drainage, rich soil, and plenty of water. It is quite drought-tolerant once established, and adaptable to many stresses. Highly recommended for beginning gardeners and those facing a large area of bare ground that needs coverage without invasiveness. Zones 5-9.
|
