1 named cultivar

‘Yellow Bleeding Heart’Yellow Corydalis

perennial

Yellow Corydalis

The Story

Plant Bio

Corydalis lutea, the yellow corydalis or yellow fumitory, is a woodland perennial from Croatia, Italy and Switzerland, forming a mound of ferny blue-green foliage twelve to eighteen inches high and as wide. Short spurred yellow flowers are carried in small clusters above the leaves, opening in May and continuing right through to September.

Very few perennials flower for four solid months in shade, and it does so with no deadheading at all. It seeds itself prolifically into wall pockets, paving joints and gravel, which is charming in an old wall and a nuisance in a tidy bed, so decide which you have before planting it.

Uses & Benefits:

Four months of yellow spurred flowers over ferny blue-green foliage, in shade and with no deadheading.

Colonises walls, paving joints and gravel where planting is otherwise impossible.

A long, uninterrupted nectar supply for bees in shaded parts of the garden.

Essentials

At a Glance

Plant Type

Perennial

Height

12 inches

Width

18 inches

Light

Partial Sun, Shade

Zones

4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Water

Medium

Humidity

Average

Lifespan

Perennial

Native To

Croatia, Italy and Switzerland

Toxicity

Toxic if ingested

Planting

How to Grow

Plant in spring in part to full shade.
Choose rich, moist soil that drains sharply.
Add grit to heavy ground before planting.
Keep the soil from drying out entirely.
Let it seed into walls and paving if that suits.
Pull unwanted seedlings while they are small.

Pro Tip

It resents being moved once established, but seeds itself so freely that raising replacements is never a problem.

Keep It Thriving

Care Guide

Do

Grow it in part to full shade 🌳
Give it rich soil with sharp drainage 🪨
Let it colonise wall pockets and paving 🧱
Pull unwanted seedlings early 🌱

Don't

Move an established plant ❌
Plant it in heavy waterlogged ground ❌
Expect it to stay strictly where you put it ❌

Seasonal Care Calendar

Task	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Water
Weed

Watch Out For

Pests & Diseases

Common Pests

Common Diseases

In the Garden

Landscape Uses & Companions

Landscape Uses

Shaded rock garden and wall pocket plantingGround cover in woodland shadeCottage garden border front

Companion Plants

Hellebore Lady's Mantle Foamflower Hardy Geranium Japanese Painted Fern

Multiply

Propagation Methods

Good to Know

Common Questions

Yellow Corydalis questions

What zones can Yellow Corydalis grow in?

Yellow Corydalis is hardy in USDA Zones 4–8. Inside that range it survives winter in the ground; outside it, grow it as an annual or a container plant you protect.

Is Yellow Corydalis deer resistant?

Yes — Yellow Corydalis is rated deer-resistant. Deer typically pass it over, though extreme hunger can override any plant's defenses.

When does Yellow Corydalis bloom?

Yellow Corydalis typically blooms in late spring to early fall through late spring. Exact timing shifts a week or two with your zone — Sow's bloom calendar maps it to your garden.

Does Yellow Corydalis need full sun?

Yellow Corydalis does best in part shade.