(Yellow Fumewort)

Native to moist open woods and rocky slopes of eastern and central North America, this annual bears clusters of pale yellow flowers in spring above overwintering rosettes of lacy divided blue-green leaves. Deployed on upright or sprawling, calf-high stems, the flowers have a gaping mouth and a relatively short down-curved spur. They give rise to small pod-like capsules containing round shiny black seeds that are distributed by ants. Plants will self-sow where happy. This spring ephemeral disappears...

(Blue Corydalis, Blue Fumewort)

Hauntingly beautiful in flower but often balky in cultivation, this hardy herbaceous perennial comes from high altitudes in central Sichuan. Growing from a network of scaly rhizomes, it forms clumps of ferny-leaved, calf-high stems topped by conical clusters of 10 to 20 pale- to dark-blue flowers. The two-lipped, long-spurred, fragrant flowers appear through much of spring. The green to blue-green leaves sometimes have red blotches. Plants go dormant in the heat of summer and push up new leaves in...

(Blue Corydalis, Blue Fumewort, Blue Panda Corydalis)

Hauntingly beautiful in flower but often balky in cultivation, Corydalis flexuosa is an herbaceous perennial from high altitudes in central Sichuan. The cultivar 'Blue Panda' has sky-blue flowers with curved spurs. 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 blue-green leaves are unmarked. Plants go dormant...

(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...

(Fumewort)

More easily grown than many other Chinese Corydalis (including C. flexuosa), this hardy herbaceous perennial comes from relatively low altitudes in western Sichuan. Growing from a network of short clumping rhizomes, it forms dense clumps of ferny-leaved, calf-high stems topped by loose conical clusters of 5 to 13 pale bluish-purple to reddish-purple flowers with darker snouts. The two-lipped, long-tailed blooms appear from late spring into summer. In hot climates, plants...

(Berry Exciting Fumewort, Fumewort)

More easily grown than many other Chinese Corydalis (including C. flexuosa), C. shimienensis is a hardy herbaceous perennial from relatively low altitudes in western Sichuan. The cultivar 'Berry Exciting' is a showy-leaved sport of 'Blackberry Wine.' Growing from a network of short clumping rhizomes, its calf-high stems are furnished with elegant ferny foliage that is bright gold in spring and ages to lime-green in summer. From late spring to summer the...