Tuberous Corydalis 2021

[Leena]

I sniffed my Corydalis when they started to flower in April, and there was no scent, not that I noticed. Then the weather was cooler, but now today when it was  +25, I smelled Corydalis again and true, the one type (which I call Big Blue) has the most lovely fragrance, something like lilacs I think. None of the other Corydalis here have that kind of fragrance. Maybe the fragrance comes when it is warm enough, but still it is only that one type that has that fragrance.

It derives from the original 10 bulbs of C.solida Penza strain I bought from Janis in 2008. Sometime in maybe 2012 or 2013 I noticed one clump of C.solida which was bigger and had more flowers than others (almost hyacinth-like), and it was blue (purplish blue), and started to flower a bit later than other C.solida, but the flowering overlaps.  I divided that clump and have it growing now in two places. And it seems to have similar offspring! When a friend was here two weeks ago, she showed some self sown seedlings and asked if I had planted Big Blue also there,  but no I hadn't. They were seedling and so similar that she thought they were the same. And today I sniffed also them (or what was left of their flowers in this heat) and all of them had fragrance, but none of other blueish purple solidas (or reds or pinks).

I can't remember from what plants I collected the seeds to Gabriela, but there may have been also seeds from BB, or it is the father for your seedlings.

I have never read of heard that C.cava could hybridize with C.solida, but of course that doesn't mean they can't. You would think the offspring is sterile, but my BB plant is fertile and sets seeds.
If that kind of cross would be possible, you would expect to have it for instance in Swedish gardens/nature where C.cava and C.solida grow more than here.

At the time when I first noticed Big Blue, I had only penza solidas and C.cava, if I remember correctly. I would think it is possible that type was in penza strain, and just popped out here. Penza strain is very variable, there are all colours in it and as I understand most of Janis's reds or other special colours came from that strain (I can't remember now if he had any blue named plant, but the ones I bought in 2008 were a nameless mix). I will try to dig up photos of Big Blue, it is now almost over, but I have photographed it in previous years.

[Gail]

I was looking at the RarePlants site;
Apparently
Corydalis caucasica - dense honey-scented spikes
Corydalis incisa alba CH.821 - strongly scented of carnations
Corydalis solida Linnet - a delicious, light, sweet scent
I will let you know in due course...

[Gail]

Corydalis turtschaninovii ‘Eric the Red’

[Leena]

Eric the Red has been one of the best blue bulbous corydalis here, even though it hasn't multiplied but at least stayed alive for more than five years now.

Earlier I wrote about my pinkish C.marschalliana that I haven't gotten seeds from it. However yesterday I was weeding near it and saw seedlings that must be from it, in the middle of the first picture.

Then a picture C.bracteata 'Marina'. In litterature it should be lighter colour than normal C.bracteata, and in previous years I have even started to question if they are the same, but this year it is clear that 'Marina' starts flowering the same yellow as normal bracteata, but fades during flowering. Now it is quite pale yellow!

Two sterile red hybrids, 'Cherry Lady' and a bit more compact (=smaller) 'Red Girl'. They are the same kind of hybrids as 'Boyar' but flower later and of course different colour.

The last picture is of my own grown seedlings ex C.wendelboi 'Abant Wine' and most of the seedlings are similar to the mother plant, maybe quite not so dark, but two of the seedlings were good red, and I think C.wendelboi had crossed with red C.solida. Leaves of these plants are like C.wendelboi.

[Mariette]

Leena, You grow a wonderful collection of corydalis! Unfortunately, they tend to be lost to rodents in my garden, which is why I more or less confine myself to those which self-seed sufficiently.
Also, in the milder parts of our country, many species of corydalis appear to miss a cold winter rest and won´t grow if it´s not cold and dry enough during winter. Therefore I failed to grow such beauties like C. ornata and related ones.
I grew many selections of Corydalis solida in pots after receiving them and had a chance to test their perfume if there was one. Many of them don´t smell, but ´Cantata´, for instance, had a strong scent reminding me of lilac, and incisa had a wonderful scent, too.
Corydalis cava shows many variations in size and colour, a mix of white and lilac ones grows in many woods over here.

[Carolyn]

Beautiful woodland scenes, Mariette.

[Gabriela]

Your spring advances very nice Leena! I managed to dig out the fragrant Corydalis and snapped a not too good picture; the point is that the tuber didn't resemble the ones
of C. solida.

Wonderful Mariette! I hope I will have the same Corydalis scenes in my garden many years from now.

[Leena]

I grew many selections of Corydalis solida in pots after receiving them and had a chance to test their perfume if there was one. Many of them don´t smell, but ´Cantata´, for instance, had a strong scent reminding me of lilac.

Mariette, that is interesting! I have also 'Cantata', but I didn't sniff them because other reds were scentless. Next year I must try to see if they have scent here.
It seems that the scent comes only when the weather is warm enough, that is what I discovered this year.

There are voles and mice also here  , and it seems I have lost some Corydalis to them (or to winter weather), like a very well grown clump of C.turtschaninovii. I have seedlings from them from last year so that is good. Why is it that always the most precious ones are lost to voles!

Gabriela, it is interesting about the tuber or your fragrant bulbs. I will dig up mine later in May and see what they are like.