The Garden Magazine, April, 1924 
137 
THIS YELLOW FUMITORY IS PERFECTLY AT HOME IN THE ROCK GARDEN 
“Among plants fitted to grow in shade none are more desirable and useful than the various members of the Corydalis family, 
many of them accepting shade or sun with equal content and having the added virtue of prospering where the soil is very dry’’ 
may not, perhaps, be counted upon with certainty, but, as it 
came through the unusually severe winter of 1919-1920 with 
little loss, it is not to be considered tender. 
C. cheilanthifolia, a Chinese species, is one of the finest plants 
to grow among rocks or in any partially shaded position. It is 
particularly attractive used as an edging for shaded borders, 
for the tufts of beautiful dark fern-like leaves, eight or ten inches 
long, maintain their crisp freshness all the season and the stiff 
spikes of bright yellow blossoms, sent up in early April, are in 
nice contrast with early Violas, Scillas, Bloodroot and other 
plants of their day. With me this plant has sown itself freely, 
taking up its residence impartially in sun or shade, but the foliage 
is always much more luxuriant in the shade. It is too large a 
plant for a small rock garden, but it grows well in the crevices 
of shaded dry walls and is hardy anywhere save in heavy damp 
soil. 
C. glauca, the Pale Corydal, a gay little native annual, de¬ 
serves to be better known. Its tufts of gray leafage grace any 
situation, and its pretty pink and yellow sack-like blossoms, 
that continue to develop all summer, add greatly to its charm. 
Once established, it will keep itself going by self-sowing, and 
while it does this with a good deal of freedom, the little plants 
are so easily eradicated that they do not constitute a danger 
even in exclusive circles. It quickly naturalizes itself on shaded 
slopes or among natural out-croppings of rock, where it is parti¬ 
cularly attractive and at home. 
C. lutea, the Golden Fumitory, I first saw veiling with its 
masses of pale foliage and dainty yellow flowers an old wall at 
Mr. William Robinson’s place in England. Acquaintance with 
it in my own garden has since proved it one of the most useful 
and charming of small plants for many situations. It is too 
intrusive and persistent for choice neighborhoods of the rock 
garden, but for growing in the joints of stone steps, for rambling 
about the crevices of dry-built walls, for softening the outlines 
of protruding rocks, or for veiling the edges of half-shaded 
borders, there is nothing more entirely delightful. Its height 
varies from six inches to a foot, its foliage is delicate and luxuri¬ 
ant, and its cheerful spurred flowers are in evidence from early 
May until hard frost puts an end to their activity. On account 
of the extreme fragility of the tuberous root, transplanting is 
difficult, but seed germinates readily and is best sown where the 
plants are to remain. When settled, this bright little plant will 
take upon itself the beautifying of all sorts of unlikely places, 
striking up many happy companionships and getting itself 
very generally admired and desired. It grows equally well in 
sun or in shade and in any sort of soil, but is hardier and more 
persistent where the soil is dry and light, even being able to 
support life handsomely in the mortar of old walls where there is 
practically no soil at all. The creamy variety, C. lutea alba, is 
rather rare, but seed is sometimes to be come by, and it is very 
lovely. 
C. nobilis, a Siberian species, is a remarkably handsome and 
distinct plant with leafy stems eighteen inches tall and many 
heads of warm yellow blossoms with black tips. It flowers 
about the middle of May and then dies down entirely as does its 
cousin the Bleeding-heart. Here it grows in a sheltered, par¬ 
tially shaded border in light rather rich soil and never fails to 
attract considerable attention during its blossoming period. 
It does not seed itself at all, nor is its increase rapid, but with 
conservative leisureliness it becomes vearlv handsomer and more 
remarkable. 
C. ochroleuca is similar to, but even prettier than the Golden 
Fumitory. The foliage is more delicate and has a distinct gray 
tone and the flowers are cream-white tipped with yellow. It is 
useful in the same way as C. lutea but, being less pervasive, is 
safely admitted to the rock garden where it creates a very lovely 
effect issuing from the crevices between large stones. 
C. Scouleri is a tuberous-rooted species growing in northern 
California. It is offered in European catalogues and would 
doubtless be an addition to American collections could we pro¬ 
cure it. The flowers are said to be purple. 
C. thalictrifolia. This lovely Chinese species has not proved 
hardy with me in the vicinity of New York. It is one of the 
most distinct and interesting of the family, however, and would 
be a real acquisition in gardens farther south. The growth is 
tufted and about one foot high, and in the autumn the foliage 
assumes a pleasant reddish tone. The yellow flowers appear 
from May until October. 
