The most-used common name for epimedium is barrenwort. You will also see bishop's hat in many garden books and online. Other names like fairy wings and horny goat weed are very common too. Each name points to the same plant but comes from a different culture or era in time.
I learned this the hard way at a small nursery once. I asked for epimedium and got a blank stare back. Then I tried barrenwort and the same staffer smiled. The next aisle over, a wellness shop sold dried leaves of the same plant as horny goat weed. The name shift was wild but the plant was one and the same.
The name barrenwort has old folk roots. People once thought the plant cut down on a person's chance to have kids. The word wort means herb in old English. So the name means herb of barrenness. Today, the name has lost that link in most gardens. But it stays the top common name for epimedium in plant catalogs.
Bishop's hat comes from the shape of the flower itself. Each bloom has four small spurs that point out like a tall pointed hat. Bishops in old churches wore hats with the same shape. You can see the four spurs on your plant up close in spring. The name is more poetic than the rest of them and your garden visitors will love it.
Barrenwort
- Origin: Old folk belief that the plant lowered human fertility, with wort meaning herb in old English.
- Region: Most common in UK and US garden books, plant labels, and serious horticultural sources.
- Modern use: Still the top garden name today, even though the folk belief has faded over the years.
Bishop's hat
- Origin: The four-spurred flower shape resembles the pointed hat worn by bishops in old church orders.
- Region: Popular in English garden writing and in some European nurseries that focus on the bloom.
- Best use: This name works when you want to point a friend at the look of the spring flowers.
Fairy wings
- Origin: The airy, light flower display in spring looks like tiny wings dancing above the leaves.
- Region: Used in many US plant catalogs and in nurseries that sell shade plants by online shops.
- Why it sticks: The name draws in new gardeners who love a romantic spin on a tough plant.
Horny goat weed
- Origin: Chinese herders saw their goats act more lively after they ate the wild plant in the hills.
- Region: Most used in the supplement world, herbal shops, and folk medicine product labels.
- Buyer beware: Most pills sold under this name make hype claims that have little real science.
Fairy wings is a newer name that fits the look of the bloom. The flowers sway in the wind on thin wiry stems. The four small spurs flutter like wings of a tiny insect. You will see this name in many US plant catalogs now. It draws in new gardeners who want a soft, romantic plant for your shade bed.
The name horny goat weed has a fun back story. Chinese herders saw goats act more lively after eating the wild plant. The story has been told for hundreds of years. Modern supplement sellers love the name for sales. The Chinese name for the plant is yin yang huo, which means the yang-strengthening herb in old texts.
NC State Extension and NIH LiverTox both list these names in their plant data sheets. The two sources cover both the garden side and the herbal side of the plant. The shared use of the same plant in two worlds is what makes the name story so rich. You can grow it in a shade bed or buy it in a tea bag.
When you shop for a new plant, look for the botanical name on the label. The botanical name starts with Epimedium and is followed by the species or hybrid cross name. For example, look for tags that say Epimedium x rubrum at the shop. This step makes sure you get the exact plant you want for your bed.
Read the full article: Epimedium Plant Grower's Guide
