A cross between Epimedium flavum and Epimedium washanense, I like the leaves of Amber Queen (spiny, and mottled red, green, and bronze) as much as the amber/orange/yellow blooms.  Growing to about two feet with arching stems, and blooms held high above foliage in airy sprays, this is a stunning addition to the shade garden.  Epimediums look fragile, but they are tough as nails and long lived.  Shade/part shade, Zones 5-8.

Called "Bronze Maiden" because of the foliage and not the gorgeous mauve/lavender flowers, this one is quite showy in the garden.  It grows to about one foot and is a fast spreader - all the better if you ask me.  (Photo courtesy of Jan Sachs, Joe-Pye Weed's Garden).  Available spring, 2013.

Another beautiful Epimedium - but then aren't they all?  This clump-forming Epimedium is a popular one, and that may be because of its large, showy, long-spurred purple/lavender blooms.  I also like it for its name, "Lilafee."   This lovenly Barrenwort grows to about 1 1/2 feet in part/full shade in Zones 5-8.  Epimediums tolerate dry soil and drought, rocky soil, and even rabbits.

Now I ask you, what could be more lovely than this rose queen?  Epimedium grandiflorum "Rose Queen" grows to about 15 inches with deep wine red blooms and large leaves outlined in bronze.  One cannot say this Epimedium isn't colorful; that's for sure.  Zones 4-8.  (Photo courtesy of Jan Sachs, Joe-Pye Weed's Garden).  Available spring, 2013

Epimedium grandiflorum "Tama No Genpei" is a showy Epimedium from Japan, smothered in lavender/pink and white flowers in early spring.  Along with the purple-splotched, new spring foliage, this shade-loving Epimedium couldn't be prettier.  Not only that, but it's a  re-bloomer, with the first blooms held on 8-inch stems and re-blooming stems up to 16 inches.  Shade, in Zones 5-7.

Native to Japan, Epimediums are some of the most beautiful spring flowers I know of.  They have a quiet, delicate beauty, and I am always amazed by the various colors and shapes of their flowers and leaves.  They are not flowers that jump out at you; they all deserve closer inspection to fully appreciate how unique they are.  Called "Waterfall" because of the layered leaves, this Epimedium has
medium/large, deep rose-purple sepals.  Epimediums do not like alkaline soil, and they do best in shade
where they bloom early with spring bulbs, Helleborus, Trilliums, and other spring, shade-loving perennials.   As a bonus, Epimedium grandiflorum "Waterfall" also  displays fall foliage colors.   Zones 5-7.  (Photo courtesy of Jan Sachs)

If there is any plant that is ideal for a woodland setting, it is the Epimedium. 
Superb in  mass plantings, Epimedium x versicolor "Sulphureum" spreads 4-5
inches a year, forming a thick ground
cover of leaves that holds its own against weeds.  Long sprays of pale yellow flowers with spurs nearly equal in
length to the inner-sepals are produced above leaflets that are flushed with red in spring.  Semi-evergreen - 16 inches  tall.  Epimediums are long-lived and thrive in the right conditions: 
shade, well-drained and moisture-retentive  soil.  Zones 5-8.