(Blue Corydalis, Blue Fumewort, China Blue Fumewort)

Hauntingly beautiful in flower but often balky in cultivation, Corydalis flexuosa is an herbaceous perennial from high altitudes in central Sichuan. The cultivar 'China Blue' has luminous greenish-blue to sky-blue flowers. Growing from a network of scaly rhizomes, it forms spreading clumps of ferny-leaved, calf-high stems topped by conical clusters of 10 to 20 flowers. The two-lipped, long-spurred, fragrant flowers appear through much of spring. The bright green leaves have a red central...

(Blue Fumewort, Golden Panda Fumewort)

Hauntingly beautiful in flower but often balky in cultivation, Corydalis flexuosa is an herbaceous perennial from high altitudes in central Sichuan. A mutation of 'Blue Panda,' 'Golden Panda' has sky-blue flowers and yellow-suffused foliage. Growing from a network of scaly rhizomes, it forms non-running clumps of ferny-leaved, calf-high stems topped by conical clusters of 10 to 20 flowers. The two-lipped, long-spurred, fragrant flowers appear through much of spring. The leaves emerge yellowish...

(Blue Fumewort)

Hauntingly beautiful in flower but often balky in cultivation, Corydalis flexuosa is an herbaceous perennial from high altitudes in central Sichuan. The cultivar 'Purple Leaf' has luminous purple-blue flowers and bronze-tinged leaves. Growing from a network of scaly rhizomes, it forms spreading clumps of ferny-leaved, calf-high stems topped by conical clusters of 10 to 20 flowers. The two-lipped, long-spurred, fragrant flowers appear through much of spring. The leaves have a red central...

(Yellow Fumewort)

Few plants are as long-blooming and carefree as this fleshy-rooted herbaceous perennial from the foothills of the southern Alps. Also known as Pseudofumaria lutea, it has been cultivated since the fifteenth century for its dense conical clusters of small sunny yellow flowers, which appear in abundance from spring to fall atop calf-high mounds of lacy pale green leaves. Each bloom has a gaping mouth and a tubular back-facing spur. The flowers give rise to small pod-like capsules containing...

(Solid-rooted Fumewort)

Eurasian in origin, this low herbaceous perennial has dainty leaves and showy pink, purple, red, or white flowers that light up the spring garden. The conical or cylindrical clusters of two-lipped, long-spurred flowers are borne atop one or two short stems that arise from a rounded underground tuber in early spring. Ferny, deeply cleft, compound leaves clothe the lower reaches of the stems. The flowers give rise to elongated capsules filled with small brown seeds that are distributed by ants. Plants...

(Fragrant Winterhazel, Smooth Winterhazel)

Brightening the early spring garden, smooth winterhazel produces hundreds of pendent, light yellow blossoms with exceptional fragrance from its bare brown branches. This wide-spreading, densely branched, multi-stemmed deciduous shrub is native to Korea and Japan.

The bare are branches bear a profusion of short, drooping, chain-like flower clusters (racemes) in early spring before the leaves appear. The smooth, rounded leaves that follow are satiny medium to dark green and slightly blue-green...

(European Filbert, Filbert, Hazelnut)

European filbert is an ornamental shrub to small tree that originates from its namesake. This plant is generally monoecious, which means that single plants have separate male and female flowers. Its conspicuous male flowers, which are drooping yellow catkins, bloom in late winter to early spring, before its leaves emerge. Tiny yellow female flowers appear at the same time and later generate hazelnut fruits. In fact, European filbert is the primary species grown commercially for hazelnuts. In the...

(Common Filbert, Contorted Filbert)

European filbert is a large deciduous shrub native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. Commonly known as Harry Lauder's walking stick, the cultivar 'Contorta' has interesting twisted branches which are especially striking in winter. Attractive long yellow catkins are borne in late winter before the rounded, toothed leaves emerge.

This plant thrives in moist, well-drained soil in sun or light shade, and tolerates alkaline conditions. Use it as a garden accent or for cutting.

(Common Filbert, Purpleleaf Filbert)

European filbert is an ornamental shrub to small tree that originates from its namesake. This plant is generally monoecious, which means that single plants have separate male and female flowers. Its conspicuous male flowers, which are drooping yellow catkins, bloom in late winter to early spring, before its leaves emerge. Tiny yellow female flowers appear at the same time and later generate hazelnut fruits. In fact, European filbert is the primary species grown commercially for hazelnuts. In the...

(Common Filbert, Purpleleaf Filbert)

If you enjoy the four-season interest of Harry Lauder's walking stick ('Contorta'), 'Red Majestic' will give you dilated pupils and amorous heart palpitations. Purpleleaf filbert is an ornamental multi-stemmed shrub with crinkled, purple new foliage. This filbert species is native to Europe and nearby Turkey, but 'Red Majestic' is propagated by cuttings and grafted onto regular filbert rootstock. By summer, its leaves have changed to coppery-red or deep red-purple, and by fall becomes a burned burgundy...