Tulip Winter Aconite Click here for a printer friendly version of this page. The ideal place for epimedium is in a classical Japanese garden at the water's edge. It makes a great groundcover and the overlapping heart'shaped leaves soften rocky landscapes. The interesting, four-petaled flowers dangle in clusters at the end of wiry stems. E. diphyllum , a native Japanese plant, is a dwarf species that grows 6-8 inches high.
Blooms appear in early spring.
It blooms in late spring and early summer. Shown is E. grandiflorum. Epimediums spread by means of creeping underground stems to become sizable clumps, but this growth is slow. They are hardy in Zones 4-8. They do best in partial shade and a rich, moist, well-drained soil supplemented with peat moss or leaf mold.