Spiny Foliage Tinged with Red
Pastel-Toned Blooms with a Spidery Form
Plant Patent 17,197. The contrast between these pastel-hued bicolor blooms, as airy and spidery as can be, and the large, spiny foliage below it is stunning. 'Amber Queen' is a clumping perennial 18 to 30 inches high (in bloom) and spreading anywhere from 2 to 3 feet wide in the partly to fully shaded garden. Unlike older varieties, it offers splendidly colorful blooms and fascinating foliage. The blooms measure about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches wide, with an orange-peach center and lovely amber-gold "wings." Four very long, slender, widely spaced petals arch outwards from the center, giving the blooms a "winged" look. And they appear to float in space, carried on wire-thin stems of greenish-russet. Expect them to begin in mid-spring and and to continue into summer. The leaves on this new British cultivar are lovely as well. At first glance they look like Holly, with spiny points and stiff texture. In spring, they are heavily tinged with red, and this color persists into summer. Heart-shaped and large, they are very showy long after the plant is out of bloom. Bred from E. wushanense 'Caramel' x E. flavum, 'Amber Queen' is floriferous and vigorous, with semi-evergreen foliage and a clumping habit. It is easy to grow and very rewarding. Epimedium is still underused in American gardens, but with this trio of exciting new cultivars from British breeder Robin White, it may be about to rocket to stardom. The perfect complement to Ferns, Hostas, and Hellebores in the shade garden, its spidery blooms and airy foliage stand out brilliantly. And it blooms earlier than most other perennials, setting buds while others are just leafing out. Easy to grow from bulbs, it is cold-hardy to -10 degrees F, blooming for two to three months and scrambling across bare soil beautifully. If you like 'Amber Queen,' take a look at White's other two stars: Pink Elf and Fire Dragon. The time has come for this fascinating shade-lover! Zones 5-8.
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