A UK National Collection

Epimediums

Epimedium sempervirens 'Violet Queen'

Distribution – Japan,  the western side of, Honshu and Hokkaido).

Description – A medium sized fairly evergreen species which is very similar to E. grandiflorum, but differing in it being more evergreen. The latter species also tends to have a second flush of taller foliage, after its spring  flowering , whereas this doesn’t happen so much with E. sempervirens.  The flower colour as with E. grandiflorum varies, with white, reddish and purple being found.  There are nowhere near as many cultivars named as with E. grandiflorum .

Epimedium sempervirens ‘Violet Queen’   is a cultivar with pale violet flowers which we purchased from Koen van Poucke. It has persisted in the garden for a couple of years now. This seems to be easier to keep than a plant we lost, bought as E. sempervirens with violet flowers.