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Key characteristics

Family: Berberidaceae
Height: 12 to 18 in
Width: 18 to 24 in
Flower color: Soft lavender to pale purple with long, graceful spurs
Foliage color: Medium green with reddish to bronze new growth, often developing red tones in cooler weather
Bloom time: Mid to late spring
Light: Partial shade to full shade
Water: Moderate
Maintenance: Low; shear old foliage to the ground in late winter before new growth emerges
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 9
Wildlife: Bees, early-season pollinators

Groundcovers

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Queen Esta'

Queen Esta Barrenwort

Epimedium grandiflorum 'Queen Esta' bears elegant, star-shaped flowers in rose-pink to lavender tones, highlighted by slender spurs that extend outward from each bloom. The blossoms rise above heart-shaped foliage that emerges with bronze and copper shading before maturing to deep green, forming a refined, layered groundcover.

Blooming in mid to late spring, this cultivar originates from garden selections of Asian species. It is well suited to woodland gardens, shaded borders, and underplanting beneath trees and shrubs, where its graceful flowers and handsome foliage provide lasting texture and soft seasonal color through the spring months.

Light

Partial shade to full shade

Water

Moderate

Bloom time

Mid to late spring

Find this plant

Works well in

Woodland Gardens
Under Trees
Borders
Pollinator Gardens

Companion plants

Hostas · Solomon's seal · Lungworts · Wild gingers · Coral bells · Lily of the valley

Design tip

Repeat this elegant groundcover along the front of shaded borders to create a continuous layer of attractive foliage beneath taller perennials. The repeating drifts tie individual plant groupings together, giving woodland gardens a more cohesive and thoughtfully designed appearance.