Epimedium brevicornu
horny goat weed
A clump-forming rhizomatous perennial 20-60cm high, with deciduous, heart-shaped leaves which open light green, blotched with bronze, and mature to darker green, and starry flowers with white inner sepals, small white petals that have yellow margins at the mouth and only tiny spurs, and bright yellow anthers, in early spring; Epimedium leaves may be used for their nests by leaf-cutting bees
Buy this plant
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, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | White Yellow | Bronze Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
North–facing or South–facing or West–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H7Botanical details
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Native to the UK
- 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
Correct
- Plant range
- China
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, humus-rich, moist but well-drained 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 seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as they are ripe in late summer; 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
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- City and courtyard gardens
- Cottage and informal garden
- Low Maintenance
- Banks and slopes
- Flower borders and beds
- Ground cover
- Garden edging
- 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
Get involved
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.