Epimedium is a class of 21 species of crawling perennials that have heart-shaped leaves and waxy-textured, four-petaled white, pink, red or yellow flowers. Many species are gown ornamentally and used in rock gardens or as groundcover in shaded areas.
Basically a forest floor dweller, Epimedium thrives in rich, consistently moist soil, and cool shade that offers shelter for new leaves. This plant has dense-growing foliage that forms a beautiful groundcover with leaves boasting bits of red, copper and bronze and turning to shades of purple, crimson and scarlet in the fall. Propagating can be done in early spring, but is best done in late August to promote rapid regrowth of roots prior to the arrival of winter.
Chinese medicine has cultivated Edimedium and used it in raw herb or pill form, believing it to have aphrodisiac qualities.