The foliage is very attractive, and would be reason enough to grow it. But I grew this for several years without seeing any flowers. That...Read More didn't stop it from self-sowing. I've since read that in shady situations, when stressed, or late in the season, it produces inconspicuous flowers that self-fertilize in bud without ever opening.
It is taprooted, but I didn't find it difficult to transplant in the spring after cutting back the foliage.
This is one of the few corydalis whose seeds survive long-term storage. They also remain viable in the soil for at least several years.
For two years it has lived in my partly shaded bed of natives, and looked beautiful. So far it does not seem to self sow much here. (C. ...Read Morelutea can self sow a lot here). I was trying to collect seeds today and found that tiny ants were in among the seed pods, and each carrying a seed away.
I planted one Corydalis cheilanthifolia plant, about 4 or 5 years ago, in my garden (zone 5A) in a relatively shaded and moist location, ...Read Morebut soon felt it seeded around too much. The plants are easy to remove, but I have been pulling up C. cheilanthifolia offspring of that one plant ever since.
I have, over numbers of years, used Corydalis lutea (also yellow flowered) for relatively shaded areas. The foliage may not be quite as attractive as that of C. cheilanthifolia, but C. lutea has a phenomenally long bloom time (May to September). It certainly also seeds around, especially with moisture, but the plant with its fleshy root is extremely easy to pull up.
I also have spring flowering purple Corydalis solida in the same location. It's spread has been quite minimal compared to that of C. lutea, but it was pointed out to me that because C. solida grows from a corm (and not a fleshy root), C. solida plants could be difficult to get rid of.
I was given some white (and yellow lipped) Corydalis ochroleuca in Victoria, Vancouver Island (zone 8b), this June 2008. The spread and ease with which an excess of it could be removed, in the garden in Victoria, really brought our C. lutea to mind. I am hoping that winter does not take it upon itself to remove the new C. ochroleuca from my garden!
The leaves on this plant change color through the year. Newly emerging leaves are bronze, change to green, then become silver-green in t...Read Morehe fall. Flower stalks grow on separate stems from the leaves, and they are held slightly higher than the leaves. Flowers are yellow, tubular, and attractive to bees and ants.
Everyone who has seen this plant in my garden wants it.
Seed very easy to collect. Allow the pods to dry before harvesting. Ripe seed is black, unripe seed is white, making it easy to distinguish. Each flower forms a seed pod, with 20-30 seeds per pod. Does not require cold stratification to germinate.
As with many corydalis, this does not transplant well. The best way is to grow it from seed directly sown where it is to grow. It accepts transplanting if grown in cell packs, but may take an extra year or two to fully establish.
Corydalis cheilanthifolia blooms from April till Nov here in Austria. It makes many seedlings
The foliage is very attractive, and would be reason enough to grow it. But I grew this for several years without seeing any flowers. That...Read More
For two years it has lived in my partly shaded bed of natives, and looked beautiful. So far it does not seem to self sow much here. (C. ...Read More
I planted one Corydalis cheilanthifolia plant, about 4 or 5 years ago, in my garden (zone 5A) in a relatively shaded and moist location, ...Read More
Hardy in zone 3; very early to bloom.
The leaves on this plant change color through the year. Newly emerging leaves are bronze, change to green, then become silver-green in t...Read More
This Corydalis has lacy fern like foliage and yellow flowers.