Red barrenwort

Red barrenwort: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Low, dense clumps 25–30 cm tall that slowly spread by short rhizomes.

Leaves

Made up of heart-shaped leaflets on wiry stalks; red-veined when young, then green, red to reddish-brown in autumn. They persist well into winter.

Flower

Small, nodding flowers 1–2 cm across in loose sprays on thin stems, among or just above the leaves.

Colour

Crimson sepals with pale yellow to white petals and spurs.

Roots

Tough, creeping rhizomes; it spreads slowly and is not invasive.

Flowering: April–May · Plants: March–April and September–October · Pruning: February

Why grow it?

• Grows in shade and, once established, even tolerates dry soil under trees.
• Dainty red flowers in April–May, when many shrubs are still bare.
• The foliage looks good for three seasons: red-veined in spring, fresh green in summer and red to bronze in autumn.
• A dense, low ground cover that gives weeds little chance.
• Little work: cut away the old leaves once a year.

Red barrenwort: where does it grow best?

• Part shade to shade, for example under trees and shrubs or on the north side of the house.
• Humus-rich loam or clay, acid to neutral.
• Moist to dry: once established it tolerates dry shade, but in its first year it needs water.
• Sheltered from fierce midday sun and cold, drying winds, which scorch the young leaves.
• Plant 30–40 cm apart, about 7–9 plants per m² for a closed carpet.

Light

Partial shade and shade

Soil type

Loam or clay

Acidity

Acid or neutral

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.3 m tall, 0.4 m wide

Hardiness

Hardy (to -30 °C)

Goes well with

• Ferns: Fine foliage and the same shady spot.
• Hellebore: Flowers in late winter, just when the barrenwort has been cut back.
• Lungwort: Spotted leaves and blue or pink flowers in the same season.
• Wood anemone: White stars in early spring beneath trees.
• Siberian bugloss: Large leaves and sky-blue flowers beside the red ones.

Red barrenwort: when and how to plant it?

Plant in March–April and September–October.

1. Plant in March–April or in September–October.
2. Loosen the soil and mix in a few spadefuls of leaf mould, especially under trees.
3. Set the plant at the same depth as in the pot and firm the soil well.
4. Leave 30–40 cm between plants.
5. Water well straight away, and in dry spells throughout the first year.
6. Mulch with a layer of leaf mould or fine wood chips.

Care

Watering

Regularly in the first year, especially under trees. After that only in long droughts.

Feeding

In spring, after cutting away the old leaves, a layer of leaf mould.

Mulching

In autumn, simply leave fallen tree leaves between the plants: they make a natural mulch.

Old leaves

Cut away all the old leaves in late February, before the new flower stems appear.

Division

Every few years, divide clumps that have grown too large or bare.

Tip: Cut the old leaves away in late February, before you see the first flower stems: that way you will not snip off any buds, and in April the little red flowers will stand clear above the new leaves.

Red barrenwort: when to prune it?

Pruning months: February.

When: In late February, before the flower stems emerge.

How:

• Cut all the old leaves off just above the ground with secateurs or shears.
• This shows off the little red flowers in April and lets the new, red-veined leaves stand out.
• Do not leave it too late: once the flower stems are up, it is easy to cut them off too.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Division

After flowering in May–June or in September: lift a clump, cut or pull the rhizomes apart, each with a few buds, and replant the pieces straight away.

Splitting off

From a large clump you can slice off a rooted piece at the edge without digging up the whole plant.

Red barrenwort: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −30 °C.

• Hardy to about −30 °C: no protection is needed in Belgium.
• The leaves persist well into winter and protect the rhizomes; do not cut them off until late February.
• In a pot: put it in a sheltered corner and wrap the pot in hessian during hard frost.

Diseases and pests

• Vine weevil: Crescent-shaped notches in the leaf edges; the larvae feed on the roots. Apply nematodes against the larvae in spring or late summer.
• Scorched young leaves: Brown edges on young leaves from late frost, strong sun or drying wind. Choose a sheltered spot; the plant recovers.
• Slow start: In the first year it grows slowly and the carpet stays open. Patience, water and compost help; after a few years it closes up.
• Weeds: Until the carpet has closed, weeds easily grow between the clumps. Weed by hand and mulch.

Through the year

• February: In late February, cut away the old leaves.
• March: Plant. Apply leaf mould.
• April: Flowering. New, red-veined leaves.
• May: Last flowers. Divide after flowering.
• June: Water in dry weather, especially in the first year.
• August: Watch for vine weevil; apply nematodes if needed.
• September: Plant or divide.
• October: Plant. Red autumn colour. Leave fallen leaves in place.

Did you know?

• Despite its delicate looks, barrenwort belongs to the barberry family, like common barberry.
• Epimedium × rubrum is a cross between a European and a Japanese species; the multiplication sign in the name marks it as a hybrid.
• Because of the shape of the flower, the genus is also called bishop’s hat, after a bishop’s mitre.