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Corydalis

© Marge Talt

There are at least twenty-seven named forms, most of which are virtually impossible to find in the US. There is a lot of confusion in the naming; some seedlings are sold as named forms that should not be, some plants are identical. However, if you find any form, named or un-named, grab it; they're all great plants. I've got two forms - un-named - both sent me by a friend as dormant tubers.

This one is pale, almost lavender - some might call it wishy-washy ( a complaint I've read about this species) or, as I prefer, beautifully pastel. Flowering starts end of March for me and continues through most of April.

This one is has darker flowers. Mine grow happily in high deciduous shade in beds made of rotted wood chips. By summer, they're covered with other plants. While demanding good drainage (but not bone dry conditions) when dormant, they want moisture during growth and will tolerate watering in summer if the drainage is good. If you try to grow them in stolid clay that stays soggy in winter, the tubers will rot.

C. solida is still listed by some as C. bulbosa, a synonym. Other synonyms include:

• Corydalis halleri
• Corydalis integra
• Corydalis laxa

Corydalis ochroleuca

I received one plant of this lovely species from Gene Bush's Munchkin Nursery in 1999. As you can see from the image, it has spread gracefully, seeding into the log retaining wall that supports this end of the bed.

I love this plant. While some say it seeds around too much, others haven't found many self sown plants. I have not seen it volunteer anywhere else in the bed nor in the gravel at the base - it's just created this beautiful swath.

This image was taken in May; the next image, of the same bed, was taken in July.

As you can see, while flowering is not as heavy, it is still well in progress. This species flowers non-stop for me, from early spring until frost and in a warm winter, it will even throw out the odd flower. You can't ask more from any plant. I have read that it's nearly evergreen in the PNW.

C. ochroleuca is similar to C. lutea in size and hardiness.

According to some resources, C. ochroleuca is a synonym for Pseudofumaria alba yet Corydalis ochroleuca subsp. ochroleuca is an accepted name. I find this very confusing. I cannot wrap my mind around "Pseudofumaria, so shall continue to call this C. ochroleuca.