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'Amber Queen' Barrenwort (Epimedium)

Perennial

6 total reviews

  • Delicate yellow flowers bloom early to mid spring!
  • Bright green foliage has blush red hues.
  • Performs well in tough-to-grow sites, like dry shade.
  • Deer, rabbit, and disease resistant.
  • Zones 5-8, part sun/shade, 24″ tall x 36″ wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT
Size: One Quart
Regular price $23.00
Sale price Sale: $23.00 Regular price Each
Total: $23.00
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Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
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Arrives as a Young Plant
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Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Delicate and airy sprays of flowers make 'Amber Queen' barrenwort (or Epimedium) look quite regal in spring. While the blooms may be small, they're intricately colored with yellow and orange hues and appear to be floating above the foliage on thread-like stems. Bright green leaves form an attractive mound of foliage, taking on blush red hues in spring and fall. Nestle this beauty into your woodland or cut flower gardens where it receives some shade.

Don't let the name deter you! Barrenwort may sound unsightly, but it's beautiful and hard-working in the landscape. It's easy to grow in dry shade, slopes, and other troublesome sites. Plus, it's unbothered by deer, rabbits, and disease. While it's slow to grow, this perennial will prove that it's well worth the wait.

Details

Botanical name: Epimedium 'Amber Queen'
Patent #: USPP 17,197
Common name: Barrenwort, longspur epimedium, bishop's hat, fairy wings, horny goat weed
Zone: 5 - 8
Sun exposure: shade (< 4 hours sun) to part sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 24″ tall x 24-36" wide
Flower color: Yellow
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Spring to fall
Bloom time: Mid spring, late spring
Features: Suitable for slopes, rare & unusual, rabbit resistant, native, heat tolerant, ground covers, fall color, drought tolerant, deer resistant, container plants, best for beginners
Uses: Container, rock garden, woodland garden, slopes, edging, cut flower, ground cover

How to Grow

Soil: Grow in moist well-drained soil. Tolerates drought once established.
Light: Part sun (4-6 hrs sun/day) to shade (<4 hours sun)
Water: Average.
Space: 24-36″ apart.
Fertilizing: Apply a garden fertilizer in early spring if desired.
Winterizing: Trim off old foliage in late winter to make room for fresh leaves and promote an increase in flower production.
Maintenance: Divide in early spring or late summer.
Low growing ajuga plant in shade

Ground Covers For Suppressing Weeds

Ground covers effortlessly fill those tough-to-grow sites that are usually ignored, like tight spaces, gaps between stepping stones, slopes, or shady understories. Fight plants with plants and transform your garden into a lush landscape in the process with these ground covers.

Learn more

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 6 (100%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
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K
K. (Colorado)
Gorgeous

Planted a barrenwort from GGP last month and it looks so happy! It gets morning sun followed by shade at 6,800 feet. It’s been getting the occasional sprinkle but I’ve not dedicated any water to it. I can’t wait to see it’s growth next spring.

M
M.D. (Massachusetts)

Plants are thriving

D
D.E. (Missouri)
Amber Queen Barrenwort Plants

'Amber Queen' barrenwort plants arrived safely and I was pleasantly surprised to see large and well-rooted plants.

C
C.B. (Wisconsin)
Amber Queen Barrenwort

They were huge and beautiful! I will always order from you. Cynthia

R
R.B. (Colorado)
Superb as always!

So many local nurseries have closed and I have been ordering from GGP now for a few years and could not be happier! Great plants, great customer service and a wide variety as well! My main go to!

K
K.K. (Wisconsin)
Beautiful

What a great plant. Doing well. Can't wait till Spring for the blooms. Awesome size.

B
B.

Does amber queen barrenwort keep its green leaves through winter-in Ohio?

Great Garden Plants

No, this variety of barrenwort is not evergreen and will die back to the ground in winter.

R
R.

FYI: No epimedium species are native to North America. They are native to China, Asia and Europe. You have this plant marked incorrectly as a native.

Great Garden Plants

Thank you for bringing this to our attention It is not native to North America. Native description has been removed.