PlantFiles: Bird in the Bush, Fumewort, Spring Fumewort
Corydalis solida

Early bloomer, but very modest flowers. The whole plant vanish soon after the seeds are ripen (in late spring/very early summer). The most important pollinator at my place seems to be little black ant (Lasius niger) and honey bee.

The wild ones I have seen around Helsinki and Moscow are a rather insipid mauve, but there are some wonderful coloured forms around Penza (400 km SE of Moscow). Ruksans sells these unsorted very cheaply and has also selected and bred on some tens of named forms at much higher prices.

We bought ten of his cheap ones a couple of years ago and they are doing very well in more or less ordinary border soil and conditions in St John's, Newfoundland - where they flower from late April to late May - yes a whole month! (But it doesn't warm up very fast here - the trees are still leafless on May22nd!) I might get another batch in the hope of getting a white one next time! Or maybe, now that I know they survive, I might even shell out for a selected one.

The tubers divide, but we haven't seen any signs of seed here - maybe we are missing the right insects.

A tuberous perennial from Europe.

Has small, 3 lobed divided, ferny, mid green leaves. Bears 2 lipped, tubular, spurred, purple flowers held on a short flower stem, there can be up to 20 flowers per stem.

Flowers March - May

Likes a well drained soil in partial shade. The whole plant disappears by July to reappear again in February. Multiplys well when happy.

Very pretty little early flowering plant for a shady rock or woodland garden.