Epimedium: The Woodland Flower and Its Garden Story Today

A woodland perennial with a quiet charm

Epimedium is a genus of perennial plants in the barberry family, Berberidaceae. Most of the sixty or so species come from woodland and rocky slopes in China, with others spread across Japan, the Himalayas, the Mediterranean and the Caucasus. In the wild they grow on the forest floor, under the filtered light of trees, which tells you almost everything you need to know about how to grow them in a garden.

Gardeners know the plant by several friendly names, including bishop's hat and fairy wings, each inspired by the odd shape of the flowers. In the plant trade you will most often see the botanical name, shortened to simply epimedium, so that is the name we use here.

What the plant looks like

The leaves are the first thing to admire. Each one is divided into leaflets that are shaped like narrow arrowheads, often with a delicate bronze or red blush when they first emerge in spring. In many varieties the foliage turns deeper green in summer and then picks up rich shades again in cooler weather. Some kinds are evergreen, while others die back each winter.

The flowers appear in early to mid spring on wiry stems. Each bloom has a small cup, sometimes with long, pointed spurs that sweep outward like tiny anchors or a bishop's mitre. Colors include white, soft yellow, pink, lilac, orange and deep red. The blooms float above the leaves and move in even a light breeze.

Why gardeners love it

Shade is a challenge for many garden plants, and epimedium turns it into an advantage. It grows happily under trees and along north-facing walls, where it forms dense clumps that slowly widen over the years. Once established, the plant copes well with dry shade, which is a spot that defeats a lot of other perennials.

• **Ground cover:** the leaves form a dense mat that covers bare soil between shrubs.
• **Long season:** new foliage, spring flowers and fall color give interest across the year.
• **Easy keeping:** it rarely needs more than a yearly tidy.
• **Companion planting:** it pairs well with ferns, hostas, hellebores and spring bulbs.

Deer and rabbits tend to leave it alone in many regions, though local gardeners are the best guide to what visits your own yard.

How to grow epimedium

Choose a spot with part to full shade, ideally with soil that is loose and rich in leaf mold or compost. Spring and early fall are good times to plant. Set the crown just at the soil surface, water well, and add a thin layer of mulch to hold moisture while the roots settle in.

In its first season the plant likes steady watering. Later, it can often handle drier spells. Many gardeners trim back the old leaves in late winter, just before the new flower stems appear, so the blooms can be seen clearly. Clumps can be divided every few years in late summer or early fall, which is also the simplest way to share plants with neighbors.

Choosing varieties for your garden

With hundreds of named cultivars, it helps to know a few general types. Evergreen kinds keep their leaves through winter in mild regions and give year-round cover, while deciduous kinds die back and then send up fresh, colorful growth in spring. Compact types stay low and tidy at the edge of a path, and taller types make a soft backdrop for smaller woodland plants.

Visit a local nursery in spring when the plants are in flower, since that is the best time to compare colors and spur shapes. Ask the grower which kinds do well in your region, and look at the plant tag for the full botanical name and the mature size. A few plants set in a drift look better than many single specimens scattered about.

The history behind the name

The name epimedium goes back to ancient Greek writing, where a plant called epimedion was mentioned by early authors. Botanists in later centuries attached the name to this genus, and Linnaeus used it in the eighteenth century in his system of plant names. Over time plant hunters brought new species out of Asia, and European and American nurseries began to breed garden hybrids.

Because the name has traveled so far, the same plant may appear under different spellings and common names in different places. That is a good reason to look at the botanical name on any plant tag, seed packet or ingredient list. Our Stallion Power ingredients page lists each name the brand states, so you can look up the plants in the same way.

Epimedium and Stallion Power

Stallion Power is a dietary supplement in gummy form, and its brand materials name nine ingredients. Epimedium is a plant story we wanted to tell in a simple, garden-friendly way, because many people have never seen the plant behind a name. For a short overview of the product, visit What Is Stallion Power, and for the directions, follow the label printed on the bottle. You can also read about another plant from the list in our post on muira puama, the Amazon shrub.

This article is a gardening and botany piece. It describes how the plant looks and grows and does not describe anything a plant does for the body. If you ever want to learn more about how supplements are labeled and sold in the United States, the U.S. FDA dietary supplements page is a clear public resource, and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements consumer guide adds helpful label-reading tips.

Ready to look at the full product? The order page shows pack options of 2, 3 and 6 bottles, the 60-day money-back guarantee and the current offer. Check today's offer on the order page.