Plants in family berberidaceae
Berberis aquifolium
Berberis aquifolium, commonly known as Oregon grape, is a broad-leaf evergreen shrub native to Western North America. It features fragrant bright yellow flowers and produces edible berries suitable for jellies and preserves. The plant's foliage changes with the seasons, starting with bronze-red leaves in spring, turning glossy dark green in summer, and finally adopting a purple-burgundy hue in fall and winter. It attracts birds, hummingbirds, and butterflies, and thrives in USDA zones 5-9. This shrub prefers slightly acidic soil and partial to full shade but can produce more flowers and fruit with increased sunlight. It is tolerant of hotter, dry climates if the soil pH is maintained and is virtually disease and pest-free. Additionally, it is deer resistant and features hermaphroditic flowers. The plant grows to a height of 3-6 feet and a spread of 3-5 feet, with pruning recommended after flowering and every 3-5 years for renewal.
Epimedium zhushanense
Epimedium zhushanense is a rare species from Zhushan, Hubei province, China, known for its large spiny evergreen foliage. It produces upright arching flower spikes with dark purple spurs and mauvy-pink sepals in early April. This clump-forming plant is ideal for woodland gardens and is deer-resistant.
Nandina domestica 'Moon Bay'
Nandina domestica 'Moon Bay' is a dwarf-sized variety with lime green foliage in summer that turns red in fall. It grows 2-3 feet in height and width and features white flowers that attract butterflies and bees. This plant is urban pollution, fire, and pest-resistant.
Nandina domestica 'Fire Power'
Nandina domestica 'Fire Power' is an evergreen shrub with brilliant red foliage in fall and winter. It forms neat, low mounds and is suitable for borders and containers, thriving in full sun and tolerating cold temperatures.
Podophyllum pleianthum 'Tai Wedding'
Podophyllum pleianthum 'Tai Wedding' is a deciduous, clump-forming plant with glossy green, deeply-lobed leaves. It produces dangling clusters of beet-red flowers in April and is outstanding in woodland gardens. This plant does not run or go dormant in early summer.
Epimedium youngianum 'Purple Heart'
Epimedium youngianum 'Purple Heart' is a cross between E. grandiflorum var. violaceum and E. x youngianum 'Pink Star'. It features purple-tinged leaflets that darken as they mature, with near-white flowers. The leaves turn green in warm weather and purple in fall, making it a colorful, tight clumper for gardens.
Epimedium warleyense 'Ellen Willmott'
Epimedium warleyense 'Ellen Willmott' is a fast-growing hybrid that forms a dense evergreen patch up to 3 feet wide in six years. It blooms in mid-March with burnt orange flowers and yellow cups, while new foliage emerges with a purple flush. This shade-loving plant is tolerant of dry conditions and can be either deciduous or evergreen, making it a versatile choice for ornamental gardens.
Epimedium 'Arctic Wings'
Epimedium 'Arctic Wings' is a hybrid plant with bronze emerging leaves that turn green, topped with spider-like white flowers in early April. This deer and rabbit-resistant groundcover thrives in light shade and is suitable for dry shade gardens.
Plagiorhegma dubium
Plagiorhegma dubium, a Korean plant, features blue-lavender cupped flowers and foliage similar to Sanguinaria canadensis. It prefers well-drained, slightly moist soils with a near-neutral pH.
Epimedium pubescens 'Shaanxi Snow'
Epimedium pubescens 'Shaanxi Snow' is an evergreen plant with bronze new foliage and tiny white flowers. It grows 16 inches tall and 3 feet wide, flowering in early March. This plant is deer-resistant and suitable for shaded areas, adding a delicate touch to gardens.
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Silver Queen'
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Silver Queen' is a deciduous plant with cinnamon-colored foliage that turns green as temperatures rise. It produces large white flowers with a lilac blush in spring. This plant is well-suited for shaded gardens and adds a touch of elegance with its seasonal color changes.
Epimedium 'Old Yeller'
Epimedium 'Old Yeller' is a shade-loving plant that forms clumps 20 inches tall and 30 inches wide, with green leaves flecked with burgundy. It produces 16-inch flower spikes with yellow blooms from late March to late May. This plant is tolerant of dry shade and is known for its ornamental foliage with saw-toothed edges, making it an excellent small-scale groundcover.
Epimedium membranaceum
Epimedium membranaceum is a Chinese plant with garden potential, featuring bright yellow spider-like flowers on 22-inch spikes. It flowers longer than any other species in its genus and requires old foliage removal before new growth. This plant is tolerant of dry shade and average soil.
Epimedium stellulatum
Epimedium stellulatum, collected on Wudang Mountain in China, forms a tight clump of evergreen, spiny-leaved foliage. In spring, bronze new leaves with raspberry specks emerge, followed by 18-inch spikes of small white flowers. This plant is known for its largest flowers within the species and its ability to thrive in shaded garden areas.
Epimedium 'Sunshowers'
Epimedium 'Sunshowers' is a compact plant with small, rounded, semi-evergreen leaflets adorned with purple flecks. It produces medium-sized flowers with pale pink sepals and yellow spurs in early April. This plant is known for its good rebloom in cool summers.
Epimedium ogisui
Epimedium ogisui is a fast-spreading groundcover named in honor of Mikinori Ogisu, featuring oval green leaves with purple mottling. This plant is topped with short spikes of pure white flowers, making it a charming addition to shaded garden areas. Its ability to thrive in dry shade and its resistance to deer and rabbits make it a practical choice for low-maintenance landscapes.
Epimedium 'Splish Splash'
Epimedium 'Splish Splash' is a vigorous plant introduced by Plant Delights/JLBG in 2013, forming an 18-inch tall by 3-foot wide clump. It features heavily splashed green and reddish-bronze leaves, topped by small white flowers in mid-spring. The leaves turn solid green in warm weather, adding seasonal interest to gardens.
Berberis thunbergii 'Concorde'
Berberis thunbergii 'Concorde' is a compact, rounded shrub with striking dark purple foliage and teardrop-shaped leaves. It produces yellow flowers in spring and non-viable red berries. This plant is deer resistant and drought tolerant once established, thriving in USDA zones 4 to 8. It prefers well-drained soil and full sun for the best color.
Epimedium sempervirens 'Candy Hearts'
Epimedium sempervirens 'Candy Hearts' is a semi-evergreen clump-forming plant with dark green foliage that emerges rosy violet in late winter. It grows to about 10 inches tall and 2 feet wide, producing light lavender flowers in early April. This shade-loving plant is tolerant of dry conditions and serves as an excellent small-scale groundcover with its ornamental, saw-toothed foliage.
Epimedium wushanense 'Super Mottle'
Epimedium wushanense 'Super Mottle' is a Chinese fairy wing plant with spiny evergreen leaves that display a mottled raspberry and green pattern in spring. It forms dense clumps up to 20 inches tall and produces clusters of creamy flowers, making it a distinctive choice for shaded gardens.
Podophyllum pleianthum 'Snowfall'
Podophyllum pleianthum 'Snowfall' is a white-flowered form of the Chinese mayapple, forming a 20-inch tall clump with angular glossy green leaves. It produces large clusters of creamy white flowers in May and thrives in slightly moist woodland gardens.
Epimedium 'Spritzer'
Epimedium 'Spritzer' is a deer-resistant, evergreen perennial that forms an 18-inch tall clump. Its long, pointed leaves are heavily speckled with purple in spring, and it produces 28-inch long flower spikes with large yellow flowers and rosy pink sepals. This plant blooms from early April into the summer, adding vibrant color and texture to shaded garden areas.
Berberis gracilis
Berberis gracilis, native to Northern Mexico, is an architecturally fascinating shrub with glossy green, non-spiny foliage. It produces bright yellow flowers with a sweet perfume and can reach a mature size of 7 feet tall and wide. This plant is difficult to propagate by cuttings and seed, adding to its uniqueness.
Epimedium 'Enchantress'
Epimedium 'Enchantress' is a hybrid plant with ornamental foliage featuring saw-toothed edges. This dwarf plant forms 6-inch tall clumps and produces light lavender flowers in early spring. It is tolerant of dry shade and makes an excellent groundcover in shaded areas.
Berberis thunbergii 'Admiration'
Berberis thunbergii 'Admiration' is a compact, mounding shrub with cranberry-red foliage and yellow-green margins. It produces petite pinkish-yellow blooms in summer and cherry-red berries in fall, attracting butterflies and birds while being deer-resistant.
Berberis thunbergii 'Golden Torch'
Berberis thunbergii 'Golden Torch' is a lime green vertical shrub that changes to bright orange in spring and orange-gold in fall. It grows 3-4 feet tall and 18-20 inches wide, thriving in full sun without burning. This non-invasive, deer-resistant plant is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 8 and requires well-drained soil.
Epimedium youngianum 'Baby Doll Pink'
Epimedium youngianum 'Baby Doll Pink' is a deciduous clumper that grows to 9 inches tall, with pinkish new leaflets and flowers in early spring. It is deer resistant and suitable for shaded garden areas, adding a delicate touch of color.