I have the plain mauve version in dryish shade under a birch along with hellebores, ferns, Cyclamen hederifolium, etc. It needs to be right at the front where you can see it because it is low and not very brightly coloured. It is a very early spring bloomer and then disappears in the summer. It's easy to assume it's gone completely until it suddenly reappears the following spring. I first saw it in brown winter grass in N Germany where winters are much colder than here so it's pretty hardy.

I grew it in Oklahoma, and the clump got larger, after 4-5 years, I had noticed one seedling. I had no fear (none) that it would ever get out of control (sadly) (lol).
It was reliable and somewhat of a surprise, because with our weird weather, it would pop out of the ground and be blooming the next day. Bloom period was pretty short, maybe 2 weeks though.

Can be difficult to get rid of if it seeds into a place where it's not wanted.

Unlike Corydalis lutea it grows from a corm rather than a fleshy root.

Corydalis, including C. solida (the darker purple one), in Merlin's Hollow (May 10, 2014), the garden designed and built by David Tomlinson, in Aurora, On.

All of those could be C solida as there are pink cultivars.

Interesting, Floral.

I'll ask David and see what he planted.
Will confirm.

David planted a selection of varieties/cultivars, a number from a breeder in Latvia who has a wide variety of colours.

True they're all Corydalis solida.

David said that Corydalis solida varieties/cultivars hybridize very easily.

Great picture! I wonder if they can become as invasive as the oxalis I'm still trying to get rid of? Its corms multiply insanely fast. C. lutea may be a better choice. They are beautiful though.

IME they seed freely. The seeds have some stuff attached to them which is something like " ants' bread", they can feed on it and therefor are very activ shlepping the seeds around and help distributing the seeds.

I have some growing around Hostas and it is a good combination. They do multiply but they are ephemeral plants and go dormant aft a while.

There is a short slightly messy phase when the yellowing stalks lie around. But I reall like them, they flower so early and look so cheery.

My batch has some white ones mixed in and different shades of pink.

I found a very deep red cultivar offered in some German catalogue and they sugested that you weed out (pull probably) the dull colored ones regularly if you are keen on certain colors.

If you plant them in a larger border, leave them alone and don't take ahoe to the bed, they should thrive,
a perfect plant for relaxed gardeners ( in order to avoid the term lazy...)

Bye, Lin

In my area of the world C lutea seeds freely in any nook and cranny and is evergreen all year round - basically it is a weed here but one I leave alone. C solida has never spread much beyond its original spot. I wouldn't compare the two remotely as regards self sowing. And anyway C solida disappears completely in summer. It is nowhere near Oxalis in spreading terms.

This year I cut off all the foliage immediately after flowering. The seed is ripe before you know it and it seeds everywhere. Sometimes I can appreciate that but Corydalis solida is in a border with little bulbs and Hacquetia and it has a tendency to smother those plants.

I really appreciate all the comments! They will be placed away from other plants if I decide to purchase some.