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Herbaceous Perennial

Epimedium brevicornu

horny goat weed

A clump-forming rhizomatous perennial 20-60cm high, with deciduous, heart-shaped leaves which open light green, blotched with bronze, and mature to darker green, and starry flowers with white inner sepals, small white petals that have yellow margins at the mouth and only tiny spurs, and bright yellow anthers, in early spring; Epimedium leaves may be used for their nests by leaf-cutting bees

Synonyms

Epimedium brevicornu f. rotundatum

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Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

North–facing or South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Berberidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump forming
Genus: Epimedium are rhizomatous perennials with evergreen or deciduous, ternately or pinnately divided leaves, and open sprays of small, bowl-shaped flowers, often with prominent spurs, in mid to late spring
Name status: Correct
Plant range: China

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained soil in partial shade, with shelter from cold, drying winds; where frosts are prolonged or severe, spread an organic mulch such as leaf mould or composted bark to protect plants over winter

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as they are ripe in late summer; by division in autumn or after flowering; or by root cuttings of rhizomes, kept under glass in winter, and planted out after all danger of frost has passed

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Banks and slopes
Flower borders and beds
Ground cover
Garden edging
Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

No pruning required, but cutting back in late winter or early spring, before flower spikes form, will improve appearance

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil

Diseases

May be affected by mosaic virus diseases and fungal leaf spots

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