Perennials: Corydalis 'Canary Feathers'- how has it done for you?, 0 by Leftwood

Leftwood wrote:
Zone 4 here. Beth Evans is a cultivar of Corydalis solida. This species is supposed to go dormant. I have C. solida from three different sources. They come up very early if the soil is warmed early. On the south side of my house they emerged in mid April, but on the north side mid May. They are gone inside a month. They produce a little round corm that sits dormant until the following year.

Many grow the most common yellow form of Corydalis (C. lutea), but I do not because it reseeds too heavily here. I do grow C. ochroleuca, and wouldn't be without it. It does reseed gently for me. I grew C. cheilanthifolia, very nice, but then it bloomed and did what it is suppose to: produce seed and die. No seedlings returned. I've tried C. stenantha in several different places, and none have been winter hardy.

The purple/blue types are generally less cold hardy. A few people up here can keep them going for a few years, but ultimately not.

Rick

A young Corydalis ochroleuca. Unlike C. solida, the plant will grow much larger, to 1x1ft plus.