Epimedium/Barrenwort
Plants that can take dry shade are few and far between, and epimedium is one of the best. It spreads and fills out enough to function as a groundcover, though not by bullying out other plants. Native to parts of Asia and Europe.
Details
- Flower early spring in shades of yellow, white, red, pink, purple, etc. Then the foliage emerges and looks great into autumn. Some even have good fall color.
- Sources indicate it likes rich soil, so I might just try adding compost to mine to increase their modest growth rate.
- Okay with full shade, even dry shade, or, where summers are cool, full sun.
Care
- For their first year, keep the soil moist and use mulch or compost. After that, they’re quite drought-tolerant.
- Disease- and pest-free.
- By early spring, they’re “unsightly” and should be cut down before their early spring flowers appear.
by Tracy DiSabato-Aust is the best-selling book on how to make your perennials healthier and better-looking.
by Graham Rice is exhaustive and an outstanding general resource on the subject.
by Cutler and Ellis is another source I consult regularly.