Red barrenwort

Sun

Partial shade or dappled shade; tolerates full shade but flowers less freely. Avoid hot afternoon sun.

Water

Water regularly during the first growing season. Once established, water during prolonged drought, especially beneath thirsty trees.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil; tolerates clay if it does not stay waterlogged. Suits mildly acidic to mildly alkaline conditions.

Height

0.75-1 ft (0.23-0.3 m)

Spread

1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m), gradually forming wider colonies

Flowers

Mid- to late spring; small nodding flowers with crimson-red outer segments and creamy-white to pale yellow inner petals.

Foliage

Wiry stems carry heart-shaped, finely toothed leaflets. New leaves have bronze-red colouring and red margins, mature to green, and may turn reddish or bronze in autumn. Semi-evergreen in mild climates and deciduous in colder regions.

Growth

Slow to moderate; spreads steadily by short rhizomes once established.

Care needed

Low

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Drought tolerant
• Cold hardy
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Easy

Toughness

Very tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   0.9 ft (0.27 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant in spring or autumn, allowing about 1-1.5 ft (0.3-0.45 m) between plants.
• Keep the root zone evenly moist during establishment without leaving it waterlogged.
• Apply a thin layer of leaf mould or compost each spring; routine heavy feeding is unnecessary.
• Mulch around plants to conserve moisture, keeping mulch clear of emerging shoots.
• Divide congested clumps or lift unwanted spreading edges in early spring or early autumn.

Pruning. Cut old foliage close to the ground in late winter or very early spring, before flower stems and new leaves emerge. If new growth has already started, remove damaged leaves individually rather than shearing the clump.

Late winter

Remove old foliage before new flower stems appear.

Early spring

Top-dress with leaf mould or compost and divide established clumps if needed.

Spring

Plant new specimens and water them regularly while roots establish.

Summer

Check soil beneath tree canopies and water during prolonged dry spells.

Early autumn

Plant or divide while soil is still warm, keeping divisions moist.

Late autumn

Retain healthy foliage and replenish a light mulch without burying the crowns.

• Plant in drifts beneath deciduous shrubs and trees to cover bare soil without hiding their trunks.
• Edge shaded paths with its low foliage and spring flowers.
• Combine with ferns, hellebores and hostas for contrasting leaf shapes through the growing season.
• Use among spring bulbs, allowing the expanding leaves to soften the appearance of fading bulb foliage.

Garden styles it suits: Woodland, English country, Cottage garden, Japanese, Low-maintenance and Secret garden.

Plant it with: Hellebores, Hardy ferns, Hostas, Snowdrops, Siberian bugloss and Lungwort.

Wildlife: Spring flowers may attract bees. Deer and rabbits usually leave the foliage alone, although no plant is completely browsing-proof.

• Leaf scorch or crisp brown edges: protect from hot afternoon sun and water deeply during extended drought.
• Poor establishment beneath trees: improve the planting area with compost without damaging tree roots, mulch, and water through the first growing season.
• Crown or root rot in wet soil: improve drainage or move the plant; avoid planting deeply or keeping the crown constantly wet.
• Vine weevil larvae, particularly in containers: inspect roots of wilting plants and use an appropriate biological nematode treatment when soil temperatures suit the product.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular part is established as poisonous, but animal safety information is limited; do not treat the leaves, flowers or rhizomes as food or allow pets to eat large quantities.

• Large-flowered barrenwort (Epimedium grandiflorum)

  Usually has larger flowers with conspicuously longer spurs; flower colour varies by cultivar. Red barrenwort has smaller, shorter-spurred, red-and-cream flowers.

• Sulphur barrenwort (Epimedium × versicolor 'Sulphureum')

  Has soft yellow flowers rather than red-and-cream flowers, although its young leaves can also be flushed red.

• Alpine barrenwort (Epimedium alpinum)

  Has smaller red-and-yellow flowers and generally smaller leaflets; red barrenwort has larger flowers with noticeably paler inner petals.

The botanical epithet rubrum means red, referring to the red colouring of the flowers.

Propagation. Divide established clumps in early spring or early autumn, keeping several buds and healthy roots on each piece. Replant promptly and water well. Seed does not reliably produce plants identical to this hybrid.

Accepted botanical name

Epimedium rubrum

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.