Epimedium shoots are burgundy, and can be really, really hard to see. Particularly when they blend in with last year's dead stalks. I usually don't see them unless I'm right down there with the plants cutting off those stalks.

They're just poking out of the ground now and they can be hard to see.

Mine are just starting to show up and I'm hoping it will spread a little more this year

And because the new shoots are so hard to see, that's why I've learned to
trim off the old leaves in the Fall, or very late Winter. . .

Carefully looked again and definitely no sign of life..........
Fingers crossed.

Methinks I'm starting to worry about your epimedium, Bill. . .we're
in the same Zone 6b, and my E. sulphureum exploded in soft, yellow
bloom yesterday. Now, other epimediums in my garden are just barely
showing new shoots, so maybe it's just a question of different sites and
other variables. Keep those fingers crossed ! :>)

Every year I expect my epimedium sooner than they finally appear. I do have the same varieties planted in different areas and some locations start appearing before others, even when it's the same plant. Hope they show up for you Bill. I would be really surprised if they did not. I've always found epimediums to be really indestructible. One year, I thought I had killed one that I had dug out and potted up and forgot to water all summer. It looked dead as a doornail and I threw it in the compost pile. The next spring, the root mass started growing in the compost pile and I dug it out and planted it and I still have it.

I'm also in Zone 6b, some even try to call it Zone 7, but I laugh in their faces. Particularly in the springtime when plants are SO slow to come up here by the coast. None of my epimediums are awake (although I didn't look too hard under all the dead leaves). I have several E. sulphurems and they always come up when they darn well feel like it. Apparently they don't feel like it yet.

They're in a windy spot by the road where there's not much snow cover so I leave them alone and well protected until they shout "Here I am!" Then I carefully remove whatever dead stuff is obstructing my view.

I'm not worried.

Claire (in the northern end of Zone 6b, which is a whole different world from the southern end, AKA NJ)

I just made a foray into the garden and I think I saw a couple of shoots.............
I had to move a few house plants into the garage because they are predicting near-freezing temps tonight. These are fairly hardy ones, so I had put them outside a couple of days ago, but they're still tender from being indoors all winter. I guess this will be one of those years when we go from 50� to 89� in a day, and that will mark the start of summer. New England after all!

none of my many are budding or showing buds at this point. in fact, that's my main thing to do today- cut back last yrs dead stems. shoulda done it earlier. carl, we need to get our esp channel cleared!
best,
mindy
www.cottonarboretum.com/

Checked this morning on the newspaper retrieval route, and one of my epimediums, with tiny dark leaves, has suddenly leaped up. Tiny dark leaves on short stems are really hard to see among leaf litter if you're not bending over. Spring is slow here by the coast - the forsythia are finally blooming and the scillas are in full show.

Claire

It has finally sprouted a few shoots. It was planted only last spring, so it will need time to develop.

See, epimediums ALWAYS come up, you don't need to worry about them (congratulations). A very satisfactory and reassuring plant.

Claire

Happy for you Bill, I think you are going to enjoy epimediums. I agree with Claire, very dependable plant requiring so little, and looking good all year. I just noticed a few more of mine are up now.

It even has buds so it will be in bloom shortly! Actually, a lot of plants have been sort of sleeping through this cool and cloudy spring, but I knew that they would really pop with the first few warm days, and they sure have! Peonies have jumped up to a foot already, camellia is covered with buds and big, gorgeous flowers, tulips, grape hyacinths and late daffodils are in full glory. Roses are sprouting new growth like crazy, walsdsteinia is lush and starting to flower. Everything seems to have awakened with the last couple of warm days. Looks like it will all catch up to the calendar finally!

Yes, it's been a cool spring. I'm almost 2 weeks later than usual with plants here. The vegetable garden is really getting off to a slow start. I planted pea seeds in late March and they just rotted and I had to sow more. They are just starting to show up two weeks later than I'd like. I hope they're not going to get zapped with heat just as they're ready to produce. My garden always does better with a lot of rain in the spring because it is so dry with all the surrounding tree roots, so I'm happy about that. On the positive side, my daffodils are lasting a long time and the lawn isn't even close to needing a hair cut! Your garden sounds like it's liking your weather pattern. :-)

Bill, I'm watching two of your Opuntia that you sent me. So far they are still not looking so good. They've been sitting under about 6 ft of snow all winter, so I wonder if that was a good thing or a bad thing. I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

I posted last month about mine being late. I had divided about 60 plants and thought I did them all in. I was poking around the mulch looking for signs of life. In the past two days I have seen signs of life and I will have to say that in 1-2 days they have grown a few inches. They sprout pretty close to the soil surface. I expect a few more warm days after this rain and they will really be growing. I am in Coastal CT.

Things are looking a lot better now. I fed the lawn yesterday and the rain came at the perfect time after that!

Ann, don't give up on the cactus, but if they don't plump up soon, I have plenty more and can send them again.

Thanks Bill, I will keep checking them!

This morning there were a lot of epimedium flower stalks in bud peeking out. I guess they decided spring is really here. Now they just need to open.

Claire

Mine are blooming! One flower stalk only this year, but it's only the second year. There is a lot of growth though, so I think next year it will look great.
The Waldsteinia is also only in it's second year, but it is doing fine. Lush and blooming away!