Corydalis Party

(Click on the photos to see these wonderful flowers in all their glory!)

I love this plant! Somehow I associate it with Edwardian ladies in long dresses, with white gloves and parasols! It must be the pale pastel colours and the fine, delicate foliage!

The German name “Lerchensporn” comes from the translation of the Greek “Korydalis”, and means “lark spur”, as its dainty flower is apparently reminiscent of a lark’s crest.

Corydalis cava

This wild corydalis flowers from mid- to late March, forming beautiful carpets of colour in our open woodlands by the river; purply red and pink, creamy yellow and white.  Such a beautiful sight before there is much other greenery around.

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Corydalis solida ‘GP Baker’

I have several of these pinky red specimens in my garden – all in dappled shade until mid-April, when the sun moves round and climbs above our trees. Apart from the lovely flower, which speaks for itself, the soft pale green leaves are an extra attraction. It is a brief splash of colour, fading quickly in warm weather, but lasting a good two weeks in damp and cool springs.

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Corydalis lutea

I also have this sunny yellow version, which flowers from April-May right through till early autumn. (My own photos will follow as soon as it flowers!) With delicate and attractive pale silvery-green foliage, it is also a favourite of mine. It seems happiest in semi-shade, but looks good in the full sun too. It seeds itself profusely – in cracks in the wall, between paving, anywhere in fact!

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons