Corydalis solida Bird of Paradise

Corydalis solida 'Bird of Paradise' is an excellent variety with pink flowers that lives up to its name of 'Bird of Paradise'. It is a small, vigorous plant with early spring flowering. It bears an abundance of curiously spurred small tubular flowers, arranged in somewhat disorderly clusters on a mass of finely cut foliage. The blooms resemble small exotic birds perched on a nest of greenery, hence the name. Plant the bulbs in good, fertile, moist and well-drained soil, preferably in partial shade, and they will grow without care and quickly produce small bulb offsets that will expand the clump. A hardy plant that is almost fail-proof!

Corydalis solida 'Bird of Paradise' is derived from a small bulbous plant that is native to central and southern Europe and northern and western Asia. The wild species grows in shady meadows, woods and copse, as well as in mountain and subalpine meadows, in limestone soil. It belongs to the Papaveraceae family, just like poppies.

The cultivar 'Bird of Paradise' is a recent horticultural creation that is both vigorous and floriferous. This plant is perennial by its tuberous root. It develops its foliage in spring. Its light grey-green leaves are divided into 3 narrow, dissected and ovate segments. They measure from 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) long. The plant reaches a height of about 20cm (8in) at maturity with a width of 20 to 25cm (8 to 10in). Flowering occurs in spring, from March to May, in the form of compact and erect clusters composed of numerous tube-shaped pink flowers, 1 to 2cm (1in) long. They are terminated by 2 lips open on an almost white throat and equipped with a slender, downward-curved spur. The flowers are gathered in dense spikes at the upper part of an upright stem. The flowering is followed by the formation of elongated capsule fruits called siliques. Corydalis solida is hermaphroditic and pollinated by insects. The foliage disappears in summer.

Corydalis 'Bird of Paradise' is above all a shade-loving plant that will reveal its full potential on the edge of woodland. It can be planted with other perennials that are not afraid of competition from tree or shrub roots. Create a small multicoloured bed by mixing varieties of corydalis. Combine them with Solomon's Seal's cousin (Uvularia grandiflora), hardy fuchsias, creeping bugleweed, small Japanese anemones, Balkan digitalis, Tricyrtis, a carpet of periwinkles, and bleeding heart, for example. This plant also performs very well in pots and creates a beautiful effect in hanging baskets where it cascades down. Plant this corydalis above walls or in shady rock gardens.