Corydalis 2022

[Herman Mylemans]

Herman, they seem to like it in my garden.

Leena, maybe I should use them also more in combination with my Trilliums and Hepaticas.

[MarcR]

Herman,

I think you will find them very rewarding.

[Herman Mylemans]

Which Corydalis are easy to grow (but not invasive) to combine with Trilliums and Hepatica's?

[Leena]

Which Corydalis are easy to grow (but not invasive) to combine with Trilliums and Hepatica's?

Herman, Corydalis are very nice for a short period of time in spring, and then they disappear until next year.
Mine are mostly different forms of C.solida, but they do produce seeds and may seed around too much for your liking.
I think hybrids with C.kuznetsovii would be good. They should  be sterile.
Leonid Bondarenko has bred them, and sells them. I don't know if they are available elsewhere. Some of them (of course especially the most red ones) are quite slow to increase from bulbs.
Cultivars like 'Boyar', 'Drops of Claret' and 'Cherry Lady', and there are also more of them.

Corydalis malkensis is one of my favourites, and the first one to flower, but it does increase with seeds. Though here it took ten years for seedlings to appear more.
Corydalis marschalliana 'Crimea' is now in Augis bulbs catalogue, it is a wonderful plant and big. Unfortunately it suffered a lot last winter, and is barely alive. I had to order another one, just in case winters like this come more often. I had seedlings from it, but also most of them disappeared last winter.

Blue bulbous Corydalis, like C.turtschaninovii, are very beautiful and special, and difficult to grow, but if you manage it, they would be really nice with Trilliums as they flower later than other bulbous Corydalis. Here they have never seeded around, and actually most have died, and the ones which are alive, don't increase. I'm still trying to find a spot to grow them which they would like!

[Herman Mylemans]

Herman, Corydalis are very nice for a short period of time in spring, and then they disappear until next year.
Mine are mostly different forms of C.solida, but they do produce seeds and may seed around too much for your liking.
I think hybrids with C.kuznetsovii would be good. They should  be sterile.
Leonid Bondarenko has bred them, and sells them. I don't know if they are available elsewhere. Some of them (of course especially the most red ones) are quite slow to increase from bulbs.
Cultivars like 'Boyar', 'Drops of Claret' and 'Cherry Lady', and there are also more of them.

Corydalis malkensis is one of my favourites, and the first one to flower, but it does increase with seeds. Though here it took ten years for seedlings to appear more.
Corydalis marschalliana 'Crimea' is now in Augis bulbs catalogue, it is a wonderful plant and big. Unfortunately it suffered a lot last winter, and is barely alive. I had to order another one, just in case winters like this come more often. I had seedlings from it, but also most of them disappeared last winter.

Blue bulbous Corydalis, like C.turtschaninovii, are very beautiful and special, and difficult to grow, but if you manage it, they would be really nice with Trilliums as they flower later than other bulbous Corydalis. Here they have never seeded around, and actually most have died, and the ones which are alive, don't increase. I'm still trying to find a spot to grow them which they would like!

Thank you Leena

[Gabriela]

Which Corydalis are easy to grow (but not invasive) to combine with Trilliums and Hepatica's?

Herman, Leena answered very well your question.
I only want to add that my C. buschii doesn't produce seeds (it may be self incompatible). Same goes for C. nobilis, which would look magnificent with your Trilliums - as long as I had only 1 plant, there were never any seeds.

So, besides hybrid forms, you can also think about these who would need a partner in order to invade you with baby seedlings

[Rick R.]

I have to add that there must be some variability with Corydalis nobilis self incompatibility.  My single plant does produce viable seed.  But while C. solida can be a bit invasive by seed, I've never had a problem with C. nobilis, and for me it seeds around just nicely.  FYI, I did grow the nobilis seeds in a pot one year, and I think every seed germinated.

[Herman Mylemans]

Gabriela and Rick, thank you for your information. I think I will find them in the Netherlands. So there is something to look forward.

[Leena]

Also here C.bushii does not set seeds, or at least I have never found them.

I agree that C.nobilis is not invasive, and it is very easy to remove if it grows in a wrong place.
Herman, if you want it, I can send you some roots when they start to go dormant in late June.

[Gabriela]

I have to add that there must be some variability with Corydalis nobilis self incompatibility.  My single plant does produce viable seed.  But while C. solida can be a bit invasive by seed, I've never had a problem with C. nobilis, and for me it seeds around just nicely.  FYI, I did grow the nobilis seeds in a pot one year, and I think every seed germinated.

I will not contradict you Rick; there is so much variability in the plant world! Yes, the seeds sowed at the right moment germinate like cress.

Too bad I cannot send my 'sterile' plant to Herman!

Herman: for sure they are available in Belgium, or take up Leena's offer. Maybe you purchase by chance a C. buschii that set seeds and give some to us! At some point I looked to purchase another plant for cross pollination but couldn't find any.

[Herman Mylemans]

Also here C.bushii does not set seeds, or at least I have never found them.

I agree that C.nobilis is not invasive, and it is very easy to remove if it grows in a wrong place.
Herman, if you want it, I can send you some roots when they start to go dormant in late June.

Thank you Leena for your offer, but I think August will be a better time to send the roots.

[Herman Mylemans]

I will not contradict you Rick; there is so much variability in the plant world! Yes, the seeds sowed at the right moment germinate like cress.

Too bad I cannot send my 'sterile' plant to Herman!

Herman: for sure they are available in Belgium, or take up Leena's offer. Maybe you purchase by chance a C. buschii that set seeds and give some to us! At some point I looked to purchase another plant for cross pollination but couldn't find any.

Gabriela, I have found some Corydalis from a bulb nursery in the Netherlands were I ordered some bulbs a few years ago.
https://www.nijssentuin.nl/nl/183-corydalis
I need to wait till August for the new crop.

[Leena]

Thank you Leena for your offer, but I think August will be a better time to send the roots.

I can't find the roots anymore after they go dormant.

[Herman Mylemans]

I can't find the roots anymore after they go dormant.

Leena, you can put some roots in a pot and then let them go dormant completely. 

[Gabriela]

Gabriela, I have found some Corydalis from a bulb nursery in the Netherlands were I ordered some bulbs a few years ago.
https://www.nijssentuin.nl/nl/183-corydalis
I need to wait till August for the new crop.

Nice, and I saw they also have 'Boyar' which is sterile and very handsome. Plus some crazy prices for some species, I guess is the offer and demand. No one here would pay such prices for any Corydalis.

I have to transplant my C.buschii soon because it also doesn't increase; it cannot compete for moisture with 2 Epimediums close by. I will show the thin rhizomes so you won't be shocked when you get them.

And here's a picture with a young C. nobilis (this one made few seeds) and Glaucidium this spring.