A UK National Collection

Epimediums

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Tancho'

‘Tancho' is a new variety to us from Koen Van Poucke, so we are not able to fully appraise it as yet. There is a type of Koi Carp called a Tancho which carries a round red spot on the head of the fish. The word ‘Tancho’ is Japanese for a crane with a red mark on its head. Whether the name is appropriate for this Epimedium is debateable, but probably refers to the pinkie red colour of the petals.
It appears to be a medium height variety.

 General information on Epimedium grandiflorum

Distribution – Japan (Kyushu, Shikoku, Honshu and Hokiado). Northern Korea and southern Manchuria.

Description – A medium sized fairly deciduous species with widespread distribution through Japan etc. growing in deciduous woodland. It was introduced to Great Britain in the 1830s. With its wide geographical range through the various Japanese islands etc., a good deal of variation has occurred. Flower colour of the plants found in the wild varies widely: yellow, white, pink, lilac and reddish to purple. Add to this the large number of plants attributed to E grandiflorum that have arisen in cultivation and there may be hundreds of cultivars already named.