Description
A strong growing hybrid Corydalis which is the child of the marriage between the yellow, Siberian, Corydalis bracteata and the largely pink-purple, mainly European, C. solida. The name allenii applies to the progeny of the entire cross (i.e. all solida x bracteata crosses are C. allenii, or C. x allenii if you prefer). There is a little variability as one might expect and whilst one form seems to predominate in horticulture, not all forms are exactly the same. Throw into the equation the fact that either parent may dominate within even a clonal form of the cross, depending on floral age and temperature during flower development, and you have a superb plant with more than a touch of colour-changing about it.
The flowers open with a cream face that tones to purple with age, whilst the spur can be anything from peach to apricot or even pink on opening, usually fading to pink with maturity though sometimes it inclines towards white with age. Peach is the commonest shade for a clump during flowering but expect flashes of pink here and there along with a bit of purple and a touch of near white. It flowers earlier than solida here, deriving the early habit from bracteata, with the flowers born over lovely glaucous and divided, blue-green foliage however the bracts behind the flowers are entire and are shaped like a turf spade. They make quite a noticeable contrast to the divided foliage.
Corydalis allenii does its stuff reliably each spring, with masses of flowers, then apparently having set no seed at all, it vanishes below ground for much of the rest of year, reappearing the following March.
Humus-rich soil in full sun is perfection however this is a tolerant plant.
