'Pink Champagne' Epimedium Shines Even in Dry Shade

Virtues:Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’ can be described as splotchy as well as spikey. The tapered leaves are long and speckled with deep purple and the flowers climb up spikes held well above the foliage. A cultivar of fairy wings, or barrenwort, it is a low-maintenance perennial for the shade, even dry shade.

Common name: ‘Pink Champagne’ fairy wings; ‘Pink Champagne’ barrenwort

Botanical name:Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’

Flowers: The flowers can be varying shades of pink to white.

Foliage:Epimedium ‘Pink Champagne’ has dark green leaves mottled with dark purple. The leaves are long and tapered at the end. The purple marks eventually fade to green.

Habit: Spreading perennial groundcover. The plant matures to a height of about 14 to 24 inches and spreads 10 to 12 inches.

Season: Blooms in spring; provides ground cover year-round, though the foliage looks best spring through fall in the colder reaches of its growing area.

How to grow it: All fairy wings needs partial to full shade in rich, well-drained soil. The water requirement is low; make sure not to over-water. Drought tolerant once established. USDA Zones 4a-8b.

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