Product Description
Epimedium 'Cranberry Dancer' PPAF (30)ct Flat
Epimedium 'Cranberry Dancer' is a captivating new cultivar of Barrenwort that brings delicate beauty and vibrant color to the shade garden. This variety stands out with its exceptionally long flower stems and larger blooms, offering a prolonged display for many weeks in spring. The intricate flowers feature cranberry red sepals with dark centers, transitioning to charming yellow wingtips. The reverse of the sepals reveals a rosy red hue with a delicate cream margin, creating a truly unique and vibrant color combination, representing a notable "color break" within the Epimedium genus. Complementing the blooms are medium green, lance-shaped leaves that develop an attractive moderate bronze tint in cooler temperatures. 'Cranberry Dancer' improves upon traditional barrenworts by offering an enhanced floral show while maintaining the remarkable durability and critter resistance that makes Epimedium a beloved choice for challenging dry shade conditions.
'Cranberry Dancer' forms a delicate yet durable clump of foliage, reaching 18-24 inches in height with a spread of 24-36 inches. The lance-shaped leaves are medium green and emerge with a subtle bronzing that becomes more pronounced in cooler temperatures. The most distinctive feature is its abundant flowers, borne on exceptionally long, wiry stems that hold the blooms proudly above the foliage. Each flower is intricately structured: the cranberry red sepals have dark centers, leading to bright yellow wingtips, while the backs of the sepals are a rosy red with a delicate cream margin. The flowers are generally larger than those of traditional Epimedium varieties. This plant is evergreen, providing year-round foliage interest.
- Foliage: Medium green, lance-shaped, with moderate bronzing in cooler temperatures. Evergreen.
- Flowers: Cranberry red sepals with dark centers, yellow wingtips, and rosy red backs with a cream margin. Large and intricately shaped.
- Bloom Time: Mid-Spring to Late Spring, for many weeks.
- Growth Rate: Slow.
- Critter Resistant: Deer Resistant, Rabbit Resistant.
- Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage.
- Fragrance: Not specified, generally not a primary feature of Epimedium.
- Other Features: Drought tolerant once established, easy to grow, excellent ground cover, attractive foliage, can be used for mass planting or as a specimen.
- Height: 18.0-24.0 Inches (45-60 cm)
- Spread: 24.0-36.0 Inches (60-90 cm)
- Hardiness Zones: 5, 6, 7, 8
- Flower Color: Pink shades, Red shades (complex blend as described)
- Foliage Color: Green shades
- Sunlight: Part Shade (4-6 hours direct sun) to Full Shade (< 4 hours direct sun)
- Water Requirements: Low Water Needs, Average Water Needs
- Soil Quality: Average Soil Quality, Fertile Soil Quality
- Soil Chemistry: Acidic Soil (pH < 7.0), Neutral Soil (pH = 7.0)
- Bloomtime: Mid Spring, Late Spring
- PP36548: Plant Patent Pending (now granted as PP36548)
Epimedium species, commonly known as Barrenwort or Bishop's Hat, are primarily native to woodlands and mountainous regions of Asia (especially China, Korea, and Japan) and parts of Europe. They typically grow in shaded, often rocky or sloped areas, which explains their remarkable adaptability to dry shade conditions.
Landscaping Design Tips
Epimedium 'Cranberry Dancer' is an invaluable plant for challenging shade conditions, offering both delicate beauty and exceptional toughness.
- Dry Shade Solutions: This is one of the few plants truly capable of thriving in dry shade, making it perfect for areas under large, thirsty trees where other plants struggle.
- Woodland Shade Gardens: Its naturalistic form and preference for shade make it an ideal choice for woodland gardens, where it can naturalize and create a soft, ethereal carpet beneath trees and shrubs.
- Ground Cover: Plant 'Cranberry Dancer' en masse to create a beautiful, durable, and deer/rabbit resistant ground cover, particularly in sloped or difficult-to-mow shaded areas. Its evergreen foliage provides year-round interest.
- Border Plant: Use it to define the edge of shaded borders, providing a delicate texture and early spring color.
- Asian Garden Style: Its fine features and elegant form fit well into Asian-inspired garden designs, contributing to a sense of calm and tranquility.
- Eclectic Gardens: 'Cranberry Dancer' can be incorporated into eclectic designs where its unique flower colors and texture can provide a surprising element.
- Specimen Plant: While often used as ground cover, a well-established clump of 'Cranberry Dancer' can serve as an elegant specimen plant in a prime shaded spot, allowing its intricate flowers to be admired up close.
- Underplanting: Excellent for underplanting taller shade-loving plants like Hostas, ferns, or Astilbes, providing a low layer of foliage and early spring blooms.
Hardiness
'Cranberry Dancer' is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 through 8, demonstrating its resilience to a broad range of winter temperatures.
Planting and Cultivation
Location: Choose a shady location, from part shade (4-6 hours of direct sun, preferably morning sun) to full shade (less than 4 hours of direct sun). While it prefers consistent moisture during establishment, it is remarkably tolerant of dry shade once mature, making it ideal for planting under large trees.
Soil: Epimedium prefers rich, moist, woodland soils with a neutral to slightly acidic pH. However, it is highly adaptable and will grow in a wide range of well-drained conditions. Though it tolerates poor soil quality, incorporating organic matter like compost will benefit establishment and vigor. Good drainage is key; avoid perpetually soggy conditions.
Planting:
- Dig a hole wide enough to accommodate the roots comfortably, but not overly deep.
- Remove the plant from its container and gently loosen any circling roots.
- Place the plant in the hole so that the crown (where stems meet roots) is at or just slightly below the soil surface.
- Backfill with soil, gently tamping to remove air pockets.
- Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil.
Watering: While establishing, provide average water needs to keep the soil consistently moist. Once established, 'Cranberry Dancer' is highly drought tolerant and will thrive with low water needs, making it an excellent choice for areas that don't receive regular irrigation.
Fertilization: In fertile soils, Epimedium generally does not require heavy fertilization. If growth seems slow or the soil is poor, a light application of a balanced, slow-release granular fertilizer in early spring can be beneficial.
Maintenance:
- Mulching: Due to its slow growth rate, applying a layer of mulch around the plants will help suppress weeds and retain soil moisture, aiding in establishment and overall health.
- Foliage Trimming: To encourage a fresh flush of new leaves and potentially increase flower production, trim off all of the old, overwintered foliage in late winter or very early spring, just before new growth emerges. This allows the delicate spring flowers to be seen more clearly.
- Pests and Diseases: Epimedium is rarely troubled by pests or diseases, contributing to its reputation as an easy-to-grow and durable plant.
Propagation:
- Division: Epimedium can be easily divided in early fall. Gently lift the clump, separate it into smaller sections with a sharp knife or spade, ensuring each section has roots and dormant buds, and replant immediately. This is the most effective way to propagate and spread 'Cranberry Dancer' in your garden.
Thirty (30) plants per flat (or tray). Approximate Plug Measurements: 3 inches deep x 2 inches wide.
Other Details
The most important part of the plant is its root system. Healthy roots are the foundation of a healthy, vibrant plant. The type of plug container used is based on the specific needs of the plants. Perennials offered as bare root traditionally perform better when planted as bare root.Planted in a specialized mix, potted plants have well established root systems. Top growth stage will vary depending on the current life cycle and time of year when shipped. In Winter and early Spring dormant plants may be shipped. Dormant plants may be planted right away, even before the last frost date.
Most bare root varieties are field grown for at least one season, though Hemerocallis and Hosta are grown for two seasons. The bulk of the soil is removed during the harvesting process and the tops of most varieties are trimmed back to the crown. They are graded, packed in shredded aspen or sphagnum moss and stored in freezers until ready to be shipped.
See our Container Sizes and Bare Root Perennials pages for more information.
Plant information and care is provided in the Overview section, Plant Genus Page and general information is provided in the Planting Care & Guides. Additional questions can be asked on each Plant page.
Plant Spacing: Using the maximum mature spread or width of a plant to guide spacing, ensures space to grow to full size. To fill an area sooner, plant them closer together. Just remember, future thinning or transplanting may be needed.
Water: Keep a close eye on newly planted perennials, especially throughout the first growing year. Most early plant loss is due to too much or too little water!
