Fumewort, Corydalis, Spring Fumewort, Corydalis solida, Wildflower plant, Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

	Plants of the Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden
	Common Name	Scientific Name	Plant Family	Garden Location	Prime Season
	Fumewort	Corydalis solida (L.) Clairv.	Fumitory (Fumariaceae)	Woodland	Spring
Other names and notes	(Corydalis, Spring Fumewort) Short-lived purplish to pink tubular flowers on racemes raising just above the leaves, blooming in late April to early May in dappled sun before the leaf canopy of larger trees fills out. Flowers are two-lipped, with long spurs, forming elongated capsules of small brown seeds at maturity. The stems branch profusely on the plant which can be from 1 to 1.5 feet high. Leaves are pinnately divided, deeply cleft, with the lower leaves stalked. The plant grows from a tuber and dies back to dormancy in late spring. The plant self-seeds. It grows best in well drained moist soils in part to full shade under the tree canopy.


Above: The coloration of the plant in the Garden is a deeper purple, some appear more pinkish. Below: The pinnately divided leaves which form a dense cluster below the flower racemes.

Notes: This plant is not native to Minnesota but is usually found only in New England where it was introduced. It is a Eurasian species. This particular species is a relatively recent addition to the Garden, not present on the 1986 Garden census. At that time and previously Corydalis sempervirens was listed and that species also appeared on Martha Crone's 1951 census. She recorded planting that species in 1934 and Eloise Butler had planted it from seed as early as 1909. C. sempervirens has a much paler flower color.

Return to -- Site Plan/Archive --or-- List of Common Plant Names -- or -- List of Scientific Names -- or --Home Page

References: Plant characteristics are generally from sources 15, 16, 30, 31, 33, W2 & W3. Distribution principally from W2 and also 31, 34 and W1. Planting history generally from 1, 4 & 4a. Other sources by specific reference. See Reference List for details.

050712