Epimedium pinnatum subsp. colchicum Black Sea - Barrenwort

Epimedium pinnatum Black Sea is a variety that will seduce with the very dark colour of its mature foliage, which is very dark chocolate purple. Its spring flowers are not to be outdone, consisting of small amber pink flowers suspended at the end of delicate stems that appear above the dark foliage, before the new leaves. An excellent groundcover perennial at the base of trees, this epimedium eventually forms a thick and dense carpet that is often evergreen in winter and decorative all year round.

Indigenous to Turkey, Northern Iran and wooded areas of the Caucasus, Epimedium pinnatum ssp colchicum is a hardy perennial plant with a low and spreading growth habit. It is a rhizomatous plant that establishes fairly quickly, forming a 20-25 cm (8-10in) tall carpet, occupying 25 to 35 cm (10 to 14in) in area. In late spring (usually in May), it produces delicate small flowers of 1 to 2 cm (0 to 1in), hanging downwards, with an unique shape that somewhat resembles columbines. They are composed of 4 yellow petals with long spurs, surrounded by orange-tinted pink sepals, perched on slender and flexible stems. Its foliage, often evergreen in winter (it may disappear during very cold winters), is divided into dentate leaflets. The young leaves are light green in colour, then they turn purple before finally becoming dark brown.

Epimedium thrives in shady situations and tolerates the root competition of other plants, which allows it to be planted at the base of trees and shrubs in regions that are not too dry in summer, including mountain areas. Epimedium 'Black Sea' is a plant for shaded areas, which are often neglected. However it would be a shame to confine it as a utilitarian groundcover plant: it will also create a beautiful light effect in a shady border accompanied by Hepatica nobilis, small Ferns, Hostas, shade-loving perennial geraniums (nodosum and macrorrhizum), Foxgloves, Candelabra Primroses, and sweet woodruff. Very popular in zen gardens, Epimedium Black Sea can also be used in damp rockeries, in pots, or as an edging. To make it an effective ground cover, plant 7/m².