Leaf
Dinkum · CC BY-SA 3.0
Barrenwort
Epimedium x perralchicum Stearn
Also known as: Fairy wings
Family: Berberidaceae
30 to 40 cm tall
Dry woodland and shaded borders; used as a persistent ground cover under trees and shrubs
Flowering: April – May
Shade
Part shade
Hardy to about -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
The tough, persistent foliage of barrenwort lets it cover dry, shaded ground durably where many other perennials fail, a rare case of a plant that is both drought- and shade-tolerant.
🍃 Leaves
Compound, heart-shaped, leathery, semi-evergreen, bronze-tinted at bud burst then glossy green
🌸 Flowers
Small, cup-shaped with spurs, yellow, borne in a loose raceme above the foliage
🍎 Fruits
Small, barely visible, unshowy capsule
🪵 Bark
Not applicable — rhizomatous herbaceous perennial
🗺️ Distribution
Garden hybrid between species native to Algeria and western Asia; widely distributed in Europe
🐝 Value for pollinators
Early, inconspicuous flowering, occasionally visited by bees
✂️ Horticultural uses
Excellent ground cover for dry, shaded borders, especially under shallow-rooted trees
🌿 Other Berberidaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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