Epimedium grandiflorum 'Purple Pixie'PBR
barrenwort 'Purple Pixie'
'Purple Pixie' is a clump-forming, rhizomatous perennial 20-30cm high, with deciduous, pinnate leaves, 30cm long, formed of usually nine ovate to heart-shaped, spiny-edged leaflets which emerge purple-bronze and mature to green, and dark purple buds which open to flowers of dark pink-purple sepals and pale purple petals with white-tipped spurs in late spring and early summer; Epimedium leaves may be used for their nests by leaf-cutting bees
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Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink Purple White | Bronze Purple Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical 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
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained and preferably slightly acidic 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 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; propagation for resale is prohibited without a licence
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
- Ground cover
- Banks and slopes
- Flower borders and beds
- 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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