Description
A stunning, very early flowering species from Afghanistan, across Central Asia as far as the Chinese province of Xinjiang. This stock is raised from plants traceable to the Chinese province of Xianjang though this is rather a generalised location, as the province is larger than the combined size of Portugal, Spain, France and Italy. It represents the most easterly occurrences of this wide-ranging species.
C. ledebouriana is one of our most popular Corydalis and deservedly so, as it is a real beauty with long spikes of white and burgundy coloured flowers over lovely, blue-green foliage. In this stock, the pink of the nose infuses into the white of the spur and with age, this infusion become more and more intense resulting in a lovely colouring and a very different appearance to the strains we grow from the western extremes of its range. The differences may be cultural but we also find the Xianjang plants to be later and shorter than our central Asian stock.
This is a plant for a well-drained, sunny soil or a fertile, loam-based compost. Easily grown and the tubers get larger and more floriferous with age. It does not however like too much summer wetness, so is one for a pot, pan, bulb frame or a raised bed. Alternatively it can be grown in a suitable place in the garden and then lifted and stored dry for a few weeks before replanting, but if you are doing this it will need good drainage.
New to our lists August 2017.
