Yellow corydalis is an unusual perennial in that it grows well in full sun or full shade (in the shade the plant may stay a little smaller). It grows in zones 3-8 and appreciates moist, well-drained soil.
Corydalis has ferny foliage that adds interest to the garden even when the plant isn’t blooming, but that’s not often because corydalis blooms from May through October. It grows 12 to 15 inches tall in a mound with beautiful gold flowers (in the photo below there are 3 plants growing together). It’s usually the first perennial to start blooming in my garden each spring.
Corydalis self-seeds (the seeds have a substance that attracts ants and they carry them around, spreading the plant) but the seedlings grow very loosely in the soil and are easy to control.
About a year after I put my first plant in the ground, I was weeding nearby and caught a whiff of the most delightful scent. It turns out that the flowers are pleasantly fragrant. I always kneel down to inhale the sweet scent when I’m walking by.
I grow corydalis in the problem areas of my garden because the plant blooms so profusely, is pest and disease-free and really livens up the shade.
