Planting and caring for corydalis in open ground, description of the 28 best species and varieties

After planting corydalis in open ground, due attention should be paid to caring for the plant. Each type of perennial plant differs in flowering time, color and shape, and height of the bush. The recommendations will help you avoid mistakes during the preparation of planting material and its planting. Care consists of establishing a watering regime, timely application of fertilizing, treating bushes from infections and pests, and some other measures.

Description and features

Corydalis is considered a herbaceous perennial plant. The name was obtained due to the unusual shape of the flowers, which resemble the crest of a bird. The flower is resistant to low temperatures and diseases, does not require special attention and has healing properties.

Corydalis has the following features:

• the powerful root system goes deep and has several branches; in some varieties tubers appear on the roots;
• the stem is erect, fleshy, 17-36 cm high;
• the leaves have a rich green color and 2-3 dissections, reminiscent of fern leaves;
• active growth of the bush begins in March;
• a tassel of inflorescences forms in the upper part of the stem;
• each flower has an oblong base that ends in petals curved outward;
• flowers can be yellow, pink, purple, blue or white;
• flowering lasts three weeks;
• after flowering, the fruit remains in the form of a pod;
• Flowers can be pollinated by insects with a long proboscis.

Decoctions and infusions based on corydalis can relieve inflammation, reduce pain, and stop bleeding.

Kinds

There are more than 300 species of corydalis. In areas with a temperate climate, the following plant varieties are most common.

Dense

The stem of the bush stretches up to 20 cm. The tubers are small, no more than 14 mm in diameter.Two oblong, bright green leaves with a double dissection emerge from the lower part of the stem. The buds begin to bloom at the end of April. The flowers have a bright pink-violet color.

Hollow

The plant forms a bush up to 38 cm high. The leaf plate is triangular in shape, the edges are very feathery. The flowers open bright purple.

Marshall

A distinctive feature is the color of the stem, up to 24 cm long. It is red-green. The height of the bush is no more than 27 cm. The leaves are green with a bluish tint, divided into three parts. Inflorescences are yellowish.

Doubtful

The stem is small, only 13 cm in height. The flowers have a cornflower blue hue. Flowering occurs in the second half of April.

Noble

The plant grows up to 78 cm in height. The leaves are deep green, dissected. The buds bloom in the first half of May. The variety is distinguished by beautiful yellow flowers with a purple edge.

Yellow

The stem of the plant extends up to 36 cm. Green leaves with a bluish tint extend from the base of the flower. Flowers bloom early, already in the first half of April. Their color is bright yellow.

Chinese

The plant forms a bush up to 64 cm high. The leaves are bright green in color, with a bluish tint. Inflorescences are pale purple.

Mountain

The length of the peduncles does not exceed 22 cm. The tubers are formed with a diameter of up to 3 cm. The inflorescence in the form of a brush contains up to 8 flowers of different colors. It begins to bloom at the end of May.

Alpine

The species is distinguished by an erect shoot, an alternate arrangement of bright green leaves. The leaves are compound, oval in shape with a pinnate dissection. The flowers are pale blue.

Narrow-leaved

The plant is up to 18 cm high. The flowers are snow-white, medium-sized, up to 3 cm in diameter. It begins to bloom in late April.

Intermediate

Erect shoots stretch up to 72 cm in height. The leaves are tubular in shape and pale gray in color. Purple inflorescences.

Low

The herbaceous plant is not tall, the height does not exceed 16 cm. It begins to bloom in the first half of May. The inflorescence produces up to 4 small pink-violet flowers.

Large-flowered

The perennial herbaceous species of corydalis is distinguished by the presence of rhizomes without tubers. The stem is thick, straight, up to 100 cm in height. The leaves are deep green and large. It begins to bloom in May.

Caucasian

The plant blooms flowers early, in mid-April. The stem is low, up to 18 cm. Tubers are formed with a diameter of up to 3 cm. The flowers have a beautiful purple-pink color.

Hallera

The height of the stem is 19 cm. Root crops are formed with a diameter of up to 12 mm. Abundant flowering occurs in May. The green leaves have a bluish tint and are trisyllabic in shape. The inflorescences are snow-white, purple, scarlet or pink.

Dissect-leaved

The plant looks like a fern due to its finely dissected leaves. The flowers in the inflorescence in the form of a brush are small, light yellow in color.

Sulfur yellow

The bush is not very tall, up to 38 cm. The flowers bloom in a creamy yellow color. The leaves are deep green, heavily lobed. Flowering begins in May.

Noble

The herbaceous plant stretches up to 62 cm. The flowers are light yellow, with orange spots. The flower cluster blooms at the end of May.

winding

The corydalis variety reaches a height of 36 cm. At the time of flowering, the peduncles stretch out and begin to bend. It is distinguished by bright blue fragrant inflorescences that appear in June.

High

The stem of this species of corydalis reaches 43 cm. The flowers are bright blue and collected in a raceme. It begins to bloom in late May.

Average

The straight stem stretches up to 14 cm in height. The inflorescences are lilac or violet-pink in color and have an irregular shape, their length is 12 mm.

Popular varieties

All varieties of corydalis are characterized by beautiful flowering, a pleasant smell and a compact bush.

Blue Panda

The variety is distinguished by bluish-green leaves and pale blue flowers. Flowering time occurs at the end of May.

Purple Leaf

The perennial plant is distinguished by pale blue fragrant flowers. The leaves have an unusual split shape and are colored gray-green, which smoothly turns into purple. It begins to bloom in May.

China Blue

The perennial plant is distinguished by strongly dissected leaves and inflorescences of a soft blue hue.

Balang Mist

The flowers of the plant are pale blue. It begins to bloom at the end of May. The leaves are rich green with carved edges.

Blue Heron

A beautiful variety with bright blue flowers. The feathery leaves are green with a purple tint. It begins to bloom in May.

Blue line

Compact perennial plant blooms with beautiful flowers deep blue color with a pleasant aroma. Leaves are repeatedly dissected.

Beth Evans

The variety is distinguished by bright pink inflorescences. The leaves are lush green. The height of the bush does not exceed 28 cm.

G. P. Baker

Corydalis variety Baker blooms in May. The flowers are bright pink, fragrant. Openwork leaves are oval-shaped and green in color.

How to plant

In order for the flowering to be bright and long, you should choose the right area for planting and prepare the planting material.

Selection and preparation of seed material

Corydalis seeds, even in good conditions, quickly lose their viability, so sowing begins within the first five days after collection.

When growing seeds for seedlings, you should adhere to the following rules:

• the container is filled with peat and sand;
• the seeds are evenly distributed over the entire surface and covered with sand;
• then the soil is moistened with a spray bottle and the container is covered with film;
• in the first year after planting, only leaves will appear, but by spring strong shoots should grow.

Before planting tubers, they should be carefully inspected. Only dense and juicy specimens are suitable for planting.

Deadlines

Ready seedlings begin to be transplanted into an open area only at the end of May, when the threat of night frosts is over and the soil has warmed up to +15 degrees.

Tubers can be planted from the second half of June to September. At this time, the tubers are at rest.

Site selection

To plant corydalis, choose a well-lit area in the garden that will be protected from draft winds. In this case, water should not stagnate in the soil. The soil should be nutritious, light, slightly acidic and well aerated. If the soil is heavy, then coarse sand should be added first.

Landing rules

It is best to plant tubers during flowering. If the tubers are large, then they are deepened into the ground by 14 cm at intervals of 12 cm. If the tubers are small, then the planting depth is reduced to 6 cm.

Care

When growing corydalis on a plot of land, you should organize regular watering, do not forget to weed and loosen the soil, apply fertilizers, and protect it from diseases and pests.

Watering

The period of active growth occurs in the first spring months. At this time, the soil is still moist and additional moisture is not required. As soon as the soil dries out, watering is carried out systematically. It is important not to allow moisture to stagnate in the soil.

After watering, loosen the soil.The procedure prevents the formation of a dry crust on the soil surface. In addition, thanks to loosening, air and nutritional components are fully supplied to the roots of the plant.

Weeds should not be allowed to grow. They increase the risk of spreading fungal infections and pests. It is best to mulch the soil around the flowers.

Top dressing

If the corydalis is planted in nutritious soil, then additional fertilizer is not required. To increase soil fertility, organic matter is added to the soil before planting corydalis.

After flowering

After the flowering stage ends, the leaves and stem of the plant turn yellow, wither and die. To remember the place where the corydalis bushes grew, pegs are placed near them.

Wintering

Almost all species of corydalis tolerate low temperatures in winter. But some varieties require additional shelter. Therefore, they are covered with fallen leaves, sawdust, pine branches, and peat.

Transplantation and propagation

It is best to transplant a flower during the dormant period, but even during the flowering period the plant tolerates the procedure well. The bushes are dug up and transferred along with a lump of earth to a new prepared area.

Corydalis propagation occurs by seeds, tubers or dividing the bush:

• Rhizome division begins in the spring months or mid-summer. The bush is dug out of the ground and divided into parts. It is important that each separated part has a bud and part of the rhizome. The bush is planted to a depth of 8 cm, maintaining an interval of 12 cm.
• The seed option involves sowing unripe flower seeds. Therefore, you need to try to collect the material when the box is still greenish. Otherwise, it cracks and the seeds spill out onto the ground.

Diseases and pests

Corydalis has good immunity.But if moisture stagnates in the root zone, the risk of developing fungal diseases increases.

Viruses

Viruses can be recognized by the presence of spots and growths on the leaves. They curl, turn yellow and dry out. Bushes affected by the virus should be removed from the site and burned. After this, the soil is spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate.

Rust

A fungal disease such as rust is recognized by brown and brown raised spots on the leaves and stem of the plant. Gradually the plant turns yellow and fades. Drugs such as Topaz, Baktofit, and Atlant help in the fight against the disease.

Moles and mice

Rodents damage plant roots and stems. To combat pests, various methods are used: using pesticides, installing ultrasonic repellers or traps.

Slugs

Traces of pest movement in the form of mucus remain on the plant. They eat the leaves and cause the flower to wilt. To prevent their appearance, you should get rid of weeds in time and loosen the ground. If slugs appear, they are caught manually or traps are set.

Bulb nematode

Adult worms reach 1.9 mm in length. Their activity leads to the plant turning yellow and drying out, the tubers cracking and becoming loose. A drug such as Meliorant Percalcite helps well against parasites.

Use in landscape design

Corydalis will be a wonderful decoration for any flower bed and flower garden. The plant becomes an excellent addition to flower arrangements on alpine hills and rocky gardens.