Epimedium 'Madame Butterfly'PBR
barrenwort 'Madame Butterfly'
A clump-forming evergreen perennial, to around 40cm high, with narrowly heart-shaped green leaves, mottled with bronze when young, and tinted red in autumn and winter. Spidery flowers, with pale pink outer petals and purple spurs tipped with white, are borne on wiry stems above the leaves in spring
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 | Pink Purple | Green Bronze | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Green | |||
| Autumn | Green Red | |||
| Winter | Green Red |
Position
- Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or North–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H6Botanical details
- Family
- Berberidaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- 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
Accepted
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 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
- Patio and container plants
- Rock garden
- Banks and slopes
- Flower borders and beds
- Ground cover
- Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Pruning
Clip back old leaves in late winter or early spring, before new flower spikes form
Pests
May be susceptible to vine weevil
Diseases
May be susceptible to virus diseases
Get involved
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