Common name: Barrenwort
Family: Berberidaceae, Barberry
Height x width: 6-15" x 8-18"
Growth rate: moderate
Foliage: compound (leaves with 2 groups of three), green, often tinged reddish in spring and in fall yellow, bronze or red
Flowers: four petals, four outer small sepals, four colored inner sepals often spurred or hooded
Hardiness: 4 or 5 to 7 or 8
Soil: prefers moist organic, tolerates dry
Light: prefers part shade, tolerates shade
Pests and problems: few
Landscape habit, uses: dry shade under trees, moist woodland, front of beds
Other interest: often called Bishop's Hat or Mitre from spurred sepal effect
Other culture: need good drainage, protect from strong winds
Propagation: division anytime although late spring after flowering is best
Species:
acumintum(a-kew-mi-nah' tum)--zones 5-8, 12-15" x 15", pinkish spring flowers, large dark green leaves long and pointed (acuminate) at tips
alpinum(al-pine' um)--Alpine Barrenwort, zones 4-7, 12" x 12", dull red spring flowers in 12-20 flowered raceme above leaves, parent of many hybrids, good ground cover
brachyrrhizum(brac-ee-rii' zum)--zones 5-8, 6-8" x 8", large 2" across rose pink flowers, leaves rose-purple mottled early and dark green later in season, evergreen in mild climates, rare from China in 1994
x cantabrigiense(can-tah-bridge-ee-ence')--similar to alpinum, hybrid of this and pubigerum, glossy leaves, creamy white flowers, 1-2' tall, 9-leaflet leaves
davidii(david' ee-ii)--12-24" x 12", yellowish spring flowers with curved spurs, leaflets bluish below, tufted and slowly creeping
diphyllum(di-phil' um)--zones 5-8, 8-12" x 12", white or rarely purplish flowers in early spring, evergreen with 2 leaflets, prefers moist woodland
elongatum(ee-long-aa' tum)--zones 5-8, 12-15" x 12 ", yellow-spurred flowers, 3 spiny-edged leaflets per leaf, perfers woodland
epsteinii(ep-stein' ee-ii)--zones 5-8, 6-8" x 12", wide 1/2" pure white sepals with reddish-purple spurs and cup, 10-30 flowers per stem, forms dense groundcover, winter mulch in zone 5
franchetii(fran-shet' ee-ii)--zones 5-8, 18-24" x 15", long sulphur yellow spurs and light green inner sepals, leaves to 6" long and 3" wide, evergreen in mild climates, winter mulch in zone 5
grandiflorum(gran-deh-floor' um)--Longspur Barrenwort, zones 5-8, 12" x 15", pale pink spring flowers with white outer sepals, pale yellow inner ones and rose or violet petals with 1/2" conspicuous spur, 1' long leaves with spiny-toothed 2-3" long leaflets beige-brown in early spring, doesn't tolerate alkaline soils
leptorrhizum(lep-tor-rhi' zum)--similar to grandiflorum only low growing, leathery evergreen leaves, large rose-red flowers
myrianthum(mir-ee-an' thum)--related to sagittatum, often 100 flowers per stem, dark green and glossy leaves are mottled with rose
perralderianum(pear-ral-der-e-a' num)--zones 5-8, 10-12" x 12", 20-25 yellow spring flowers in an unbranched inflorescence, 3 spiny-edged leaflets per leaf light green early and red-brown later
pinnatum(pin-na' tum)--zones 5-8, 8-12" x 12", 12-30 bright yellow flowered inflorescence in late spring, 5 or more hairy leaflets especially when young, leaves arise directly from roots
pubigerum(poo-bee-ger' um)--zones 5-8, 12" x 12", creamy-white spring flowers, leathery leaves
x rubrum(rub-rum')--Red Barrenwort, zones 5-8, 8-12" x 12", 15-20 red spring flowered-inflorescence, crimson-red inner sepals and pale yellow petals, hybrid of alpinum and grandiflorum, heart-shaped leaflets red-tinged in fall and cool summers, fast groundcover
sagittatum(sadge-e-ta' tum)--zones 5-8, 16-20" tall, tight clump with erect flower stems
sempervirens(sem-per-veer' ens)--zones 5-8, 16" tall x 12", pure white flowers, large leaves, evergreen in mild climates
setosum(seh-toe' sum)--similar to x youngianum, small star-shaped white flowers in early spring, low, lime green leaves in early spring
x versicolor(ver' seh-color)-Bicolor Barrenwort, grandiflorum and pinnatum subsp. colchicum cross, 9 leaflets red-mottled when young, light rose sepals with yellow petals and reddish spurs, earlier flowers than most other species
x warleyense(war-lee-yense')--similar to alpinum, dull green leaves, coppery-red inner sepals with yellow petals
x youngianum(young-ee-aa' num)--zones 5-8, 6-8" x 8",
pinkish-white spring 3-8 pendulous-flowered inflorescence, 2-9 leaflets,
deciduous, slow-growing, cultivars better and more common
Cultivars:
| Cultivars, other taxa | species | flowers | other |
| 'Album' | grandiflorum | creamy white | |
| 'Aurora' | sempervirens | dark lavender, large | 6-9" tall |
| 'Capella' | x youngianum | dark rose, long bloom | 10" tall Cobblewood Form |
| x rubrum | pinkish red sepals, creamy spurs | 16" tall | |
| subsp. colchicum | pinnatum | bright yellow, larger than species | 12" tall |
| 'Cupreum' | x versicolor | bright orange to rosy yellow | like Versicolor |
| 'Frohnleiten' | x perralchicum | yellow (often red centers) | 10" tall, excellent |
| 'Harold Epstein' | grandiflorum | butter yellow | subsp. koreanum |
| var. higonse | grandiflorum | clean white | compact |
| 'Koji' | grandiflorum | light violet | 10" tall |
| subsp. koreanum | grandiflorum | creamy yellow, long spurs | sparse flowers |
| x 'Kuguyahime' | acuminatum | pink/purple | bronze fall foliage |
| 'Lilafee' | grandiflorum | lilac | |
| 'Liliputian' | grandiflorum | white | 6" tall |
| 'Merlin' | x youngianum | brownish purple | |
| 'Milky Way': 'Niveum' | x youngianum | ||
| 'N.A. White' | x youngianum | white | 5-8" tall |
| 'Nanum' | diphyllum | white, spurless | 4-8" tall |
| 'Nanum' | grandiflorum | creamy | 4-6" tall |
| 'Neosulphureum' | x versicolor | light to dark yellow | like Sulphureum |
| 'Niveum' ('Milky Way') | x youngianum | white, small | common |
| 'Orangekoenigin' | x warleyense | orange | 10" tall |
| 'Orion' | grandiflorum | deep rose | 15" tall |
| 'Rose Queen' | grandiflorum | rose, long white-tipped spurs | crimson leaves |
| 'Roseum' | x youngianum | rose or pinkish lilac | |
| 'Rubrum' | alpinum | red inner sepals, yellow petals | vigorous |
| 'Shrimp Girl' | alpinum | red inner sepals, yellow petals | 8" tall |
| 'Silver Queen' | grandiflorum | silver-white, rosy inner sepals | 8-12" tall |
| 'Sulphureum' | x versicolor | light to dark yellow, leafy stems | usually evergreen |
| 'Versicolor' | x versicolor | bright orange- to rosy-yellow | often deciduous |
| f. violaceum | grandiflorum | brownish violet | bronze leaf veins |
| 'We-Du Special' | grandiflorum | light rose | 12" tall |
| 'White Queen' | grandiflorum | silvery-white | like Rose Queen |
| 'Wisley' | x perralchicum | yellow (often red centers) | like Frohnleiten |
| 'Wudang Star' | stellulatum | white inner sepals, orange petals | evergreen, veining |
| 'Yenomoto' | x youngianum | white, larger and rounder | like Niveum |
©Authored by Dr. Leonard Perry, Professor, University of Vermont as part of PSS123 course.
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