Not the plant you're looking for? Search over 300,000 plants

Herbaceous Perennial

Epimedium × youngianum 'Merlin'

barrenwort 'Merlin'

A compact herbaceous perennial, to 35cm in height, with broadly-oval leaves, tinged bronze when young, before turning pale green in summer. Flowers open from purple, pointed buds to reveal burgundy and white spurless flowers,15mm wide, in spring

Synonyms

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Merlin'

Save to My plants

Buy this plant

Plant nurseries
14 suppliers

Ultimate height

0.1–0.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

5–10 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Partial shade

Aspect

West–facing or East–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Berberidaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: 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: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained, humus-rich soil in partial shade; shelter from cold, dry winds

Propagation

Propagate by division in autumn or after flowering

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Cottage and informal garden
Low Maintenance
Flower borders and beds
Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Garden edging

Pruning

Cut back old foliage in late winter or early spring for the best display of new foliage and flowers

Pests

May be susceptible to vine weevil

Diseases

May be subject to a virus

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.