Epimedium sempervirens var. sempervirens ("Tokiwaikariso")

Japanese name: トキワイカリソウ （常盤碇草）
Scientific name: Epimedium sempervirens var. sempervirens

[Overview]
An evergreen perennial 20–60 cm tall, found on the Sea of Japan side in deciduous forests and at forest edges.
The leaves are 2 times ternately compound.
The leaflets are ovate to oblong, 6–12 cm long and 3–6 cm wide, with a deeply heart-shaped base and a tip that extends into a tail.
Spiny hairs grow on the leaf margins.
Fine appressed hairs usually grow on the underside of the leaves.
A raceme emerges at the stem tip and bears four-petaled flowers that are white or reddish purple.
There are 8 sepals; the inner 4 are large and petal-like, and the outer 4 are small and fall early.
The base of each petal has a spur 2 cm long.
In Hokuriku white flowers are common, and west of Fukui reddish purple flowers become more common.
The fruit is a follicle.

[Uses]
It is used medicinally.

[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by division.
From winter through the flowering period, keep it in a sunny place; in summer, keep it in a cool place with bright shade.
Also protect it from cold winter winds.
For plants in the ground, under deciduous trees is good.
It prefers fertile, well-drained soil.
For potted plants, water thoroughly when the soil surface dries; for plants in the ground, rainfall is sufficient unless summer brings a long spell of sunny weather and the soil becomes severely dry.
If base fertilizer is applied, no further fertilizer is particularly necessary, but for potted plants diluted liquid fertilizer may be given in spring and autumn.
There are no particular pests or diseases.

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