Man-Eating Corydalis

There’s a man-eater loose in the neighborhood

Image found here.
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Not a tawny blur of shadowy stripes, but a flutter of ferny glaucous leaf, 4X4 feet. Big enough for a tiger cub to hide behind.

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Corydalis heterocarpa, Corydalis heterocarpa var. japonica, Japan Fernleaf Corydalis.

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Perhaps arrogantly, I feel I’ve tamed this man-eater, but beware of letting this invasive fumitory stalk your zone 10 garden.
However, this fast-grower would probably make an easy, lush, scene-stealing exotic for summer containers in colder zones.

Seeds are available from B&T World Seeds and Plant World Seeds.

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4 Responses to Man-Eating Corydalis

  1. Ryan Miller says:

    yeah for Corydalis! This is a really nice looking one too, I love the soft yellow flowers with dusky purple (gray?) blaze. I have a few Fumariaceae seeds sown from Plant World Seeds, a few of which already have good looking seedlings going. This one might need to be added my Fall 2011 shopping list.

  2. Denise says:

    Ryan, if there is a “bad” corydalis I always assumed it would be this one. But I’m realizing more and more that what I assume to be “easy” and “common” might be considered choice in another climate, and vice versa for me. Many plants colder climates consider common I’d love to grow! Let me know if you seeds in fall…

  3. Les says:

    I refer to it as Corydalis ‘Can’t-get-rid-of-this’. I think most of what I have in my zone 8 garden is seed grown and not a true perennial, and it comes up everywhere. It is easy enough to pull up and the foliage has an unusual, but pleasing smell when smashed down into my compost bucket.

  4. Denise says:

    Les, so you grow it too! I don’t often hear of this giant corydalis. I can’t stand that smell, tho.

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