False bleeding heart

Common names: False bleeding heart, Yellow corydalis, Yellow fumitory
Latin name: Corydalis lutea
Plant type: Perennial
USDA Hardiness Zones: 4-8
Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, mildly acid or mildly alkaline soil; shade to part shade
Plant size: 6-12″

Native to the southern Alps of Europe, yellow corydalis (kor-ID-ah-liss) sports tubular, spurred flowers on stems at the top of much-divided, light-blue-green leaves. The lacy leaves resemble ferns, as well as their namesakes, bleeding heart. Next to a bridge or at the base of a hill, the somewhat over-scale plants have room to spread, usually by dropping seeds. This feature can make them invasive but a quick scratch of the hoe lifts the tap-rooted plants up and out of the way. Because of the taproot, plants don’t transplant easily. If you garden near pasture animals, don’t plant this toxic plant, which is deadly if ingested. What makes this woodland plant attractive to those gardening in tough situations is corydalis’ tolerance to shade, drought, salt, and alkalinity. New concrete leaches alkaline compounds similar to lye, so Corydalis lutea would be an appropriate candidate for planting in that area. It’s a short-lived perennial and needs shearing after blooming. Definitely not stepable, plant these fluffy delicacies on a rock wall or between structures for protection and allow their sunny disposition to cheer up the place with pretty foliage and blooms summer through fall.