Can you recommend some Epimedium species and tell me what kind of conditions they prefer?
The resources I consulted say that most Epimedium species prefer part shade, and most are evergreen. Some will tolerate a partly sunny site as long as the soil does not dry out.
Epimedium perralderianum has bronze leaves that turn green and last throughout the year. It blooms in March/April.
Epimedium x rubrum prefers shade, so if your site is partly sunny, this might not be the ideal choice.
Collectors Nursery in Battleground, WA, also carries several varieties.
One gardening website, Paghat’s Garden, has especially good information.
The site developer recommends in particular the following varieties:
Epimedium x versicolor ‘Sulphureum’, or Yellow Epimedium – for its evergreen foliage
Epimedium grandiflorum ‘Lilafee’ – for quite striking lavender flowers and evergreen foliage
Richie Steffen, curator of the Elisabeth C. Miller Garden, is the author of “Epimediums” Queens of the Woodland” published in Pacific Horticulture, April 2008.
A recent book, The Plant Lover’s Guide to Epimediums by Sally Gregson, has excellent illustrations as well as information.