Zone 6 · winter lows -10°F to 0°F
Epimedium for Zone 6
85 Epimedium varieties rated hardy through Zone 6, ranked by how many gardeners actually grow them. Zone 6 is the sweet spot — nearly everything hardy grows here.
The Epimedium that thrive in Zone 6
#1 most savedEpimedium Songbirds
Epimedium x hybrida 'Songbirds'
#2 most savedBarrenwort
Epimedium sempervirens
#3 most savedVersicolor Bicolor Barrenwort
Epimedium versicolor 'Versicolor'

Frohnleiten Barrenwort
Epimedium x perralchicum 'Frohnleiten'

Corsican Epimedium
Epimedium x cantabrigiense

Sichuan Spider Barrenwort
Epimedium chlorandrum 'Sichuan Spider'

Razzleberry Barrenwort
Epimedium x omeiense 'Razzleberry'

Epimedium grandiflorum Bandit
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Bandit'

Milky Way Barrenwort
Epimedium youngianum 'Milky Way'

Sandy Claws Barrenwort
Epimedium wushanense 'Sandy Claws'

Harold Epstein Barrenwort
Epimedium koreanum 'Harold Epstein'

Variegatum Large-flowered Barrenwort
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Variegatum'

Perralch's Barrenwort
Epimedium x perralchicum

Starry Barrenwort
Epimedium stellulatum 'Long Leaf Form'

Epimedium Tamabotan
Epimedium youngianum 'Tamabotan'

Franchet's Epimedium
Epimedium franchetii

Pink Star Barrenwort
Epimedium youngianum 'Pink Star'

Franchetii Epimedium Suntan
Epimedium franchetii 'Suntan'

Red Barrenwort
Epimedium x rubrum

Fairy Dust Barrenwort
Epimedium youngianum 'Fairy Dust'

Cupreum Bicolor Barrenwort
Epimedium versicolor 'Cupreum'

Arrowleaf Barrenwort
Epimedium sagittatum

Large-flowered Barrenwort
Epimedium grandiflorum

Lavender Lady Barrenwort
Epimedium grandiflorum 'Lavender Lady'
Showing the 24 most-saved of 85 Zone 6–hardy Epimedium varieties. See the full Epimedium list →
Epimedium in Zone 6
Will Epimedium survive a Zone 6 winter?
85 of the 85 Epimedium varieties in the Sow catalog are rated hardy through Zone 6, where winter lows reach -10°F to 0°F. Hardiness is per-variety, not per-genus — the plants listed above are the ones that hold up; others in the genus are not rated for this zone.
When should I plant Epimedium in Zone 6?
In Zone 6 the last spring frost typically lands around late April and the first fall frost around mid-October. Planting after the last frost — or in early fall, so roots establish before the ground cools — gives the best establishment. Each plant page lists its own planting months.
Which Epimedium is best for Zone 6?
Start at the top of the list above: it is ranked by how many gardeners actually save and grow each variety, which is a strong real-world reliability signal. Then narrow by your sun exposure and the mature size that fits the bed.
Keep exploring
All Epimedium
Epimedium in other zones
See Epimedium in your Zone 6 yard
Snap a photo of your space and Sow places these varieties in it at true mature size — then keeps the care schedule for everything you plant.