Associate the Corydalis

On a dry stone wall

Here are some suggestions for greening a north-facing wall. Plant a Corydalis lutea that will colonise the crevices of a wall. The clump will not exceed 40 cm in height, and its clusters of yellow flowers will brighten this corner of the garden from May to October. Pair it with touches of purple using Wall Campanulas that form groundcovers of green foliage punctuated with small star-shaped blue-violet flowers. Intensify the shades of purple by installing hardy geraniums like ‘Rozanne’, which create carpets of small flowers from June until the first frosts. This will give you a flowering wall from spring to autumn that requires very little maintenance and guarantees exceptional blooms.

Wall Campanula, Corydalis lutea, and Geranium ‘Rozanne’

To help you create a profusion of flowers on a wall, here are our sheets titled How to flower a wall? and 10 perennial plants to enhance a low garden wall.

In a woodland border

Add colour to the forest edge with tuberous and perennial Corydalis such as solida ‘White Swallow’, which produces delicate clusters of white flowers. Group it with ‘Purple Bird’, with purple inflorescences, or ‘Beth Evans’, featuring small deep pink flowers to create large, magical carpets of Corydalis. Dare to include some ferns like Polystichum or Dryopteris to add a decorative touch with their large, intricately cut and graphic leaves. For yellow enthusiasts, plant cowslips, which also have the advantage of being fragrant from April to May. A bit of whimsy to enliven a woodland!

Polystichum aculeatum, Corydalis ‘Purple Bird’, cowslip, Corydalis ‘White Swallow’, Corydalis ‘Beth Evans’ and Dryopteris cycadina (from left to right and top to bottom)

To dress the base of a tree in spring

Between shade and sun, use Corydalis to cover the base of trees. Embrace purple and blue with Corydalis ‘Blue Summit’, with its fragrant flowers, and the vivid blue Chinese Corydalis flexuosa that will add to the palette of shades from Oriental Hellebores, with their majestic flowers. The wide range of colours will delight all gardeners! To extend this fireworks display of colours, plant some spring bulbs, Daffodils, and Tulips that will bring freshness from the start of spring. Your tree will then be enhanced with this carpet of spring flowers.

Oriental Hellebore ‘Pure White Anemone’, Corydalis elata ‘Blue Summit’, Daffodils, Tulips, Chinese Corydalis, and Hellebore ‘Red Anemone’ (from left to right and top to bottom)

In a scree garden

Give your scree garden in the north a few clumps of plants to break up the mineral aspect. The Corydalis ‘Purple Bird’, which produces clusters of small purple flowers, will thrive beautifully in this dry garden. Surround it with Phlox subulata such as ‘Purple Beauty’, which will form lovely little green cushions with purple flowers. Add some height to this scree garden with garden valerian, which produces numerous pink flower spikes that bring lightness, and common lady’s mantle, with its airy inflorescences of yellow and green that highlight the graphic foliage. A delightful mix of plant and mineral, this garden will require little care to flourish year after year.

Alchemilla mollis, Corydalis ‘Purple Bird’, Phlox subulata ‘Purple Beauty’ and garden valerian

If you wish to plant other plants, here are some advice sheets to help you make the right choice: 7 plants for dry rockeries, 10 plants to create a shady rockery, and 15 plants for a sunny rockery.

In a monochrome purple pot.

Grow Corydalis in pots or containers on a balcony or terrace to keep them within reach and create colour harmonies. Plant Corydalis pumila, which reaches a height of 10 cm, to enjoy its generous flowering, finely divided foliage, and its unique colour that ranges from white to lilac pink, and from lilac mauve to purple throughout the seasons. Pair it with Heucheras with purple foliage in the background, such as ‘Berry Smoothie’ with bright pink leaves that turn violet pink in autumn, or ‘Forever’, with purple-violet foliage. Add one or two plants of Oxalis triangularis, with its inconspicuous pale pink flowers that highlight the remarkable foliage, both in its butterfly shape and dark chocolate colour. Here is a monochrome display that will not go unnoticed by your guests!

Heuchera ‘Forever Purple’, Oxalis triangularis, Heuchera ‘Berry Smoothie’ and Corydalis pumila

Looking for foliage displays for shade? Check out our guide Planters and pots for shade: 5 planting combinations.

For further reading

• Achieve success in growing Corydalis with our advice sheet Corydalis: plant, grow and maintain
• Follow our buying guide to choose a Corydalis wisely