The Stunning Self-Seeding Flower That'll Fill Your Garden Beds With Striking Blooms

If you're a gardener who's always looking for unusual and striking blooms to fill up your garden beds, you might want to take a peek at this stunning self-seeding flower that has the prettiest blooms and will surely create a talking point in your yard. White Corydalis (Corydalis ochroleuca) is quite an interesting short-lived perennial from south-eastern Europe, that can be grown in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 7.

A first look at the intriguing flowers will most likely make you smile and gaze in wonder at their delicate form and structure. These tubular blooms appear on pendulous clusters at the ends of the stems. Unlike a close cousin, Corydalis lutea, which is a perennial that blooms with bright yellow flowers, the floral tubes on the white Corydalis are snowy white in color with bold yellow "lips" at the tips of the tubes and a spur on the other end. The green foliage is also soft and fern-like in appearance, giving the entire plant a somewhat whimsical aesthetic. The plant forms a fairly compact mound with a height of up to 24 inches and a similar spread. This means that white Corydalis can fill your garden beds if you plant multiples and allow them to spread a little. Better still, its self-seeding nature will ensure that more plants start to grow and you'll end up with a whole colony of these fascinating plants over time.

This species is best grown in moist but well-drained soil that contains plenty of organic matter. It will thrive in a relatively sunny spot in cooler climates but will benefit from some afternoon shade in warmer regions as it doesn't like the heat. You will most likely have to grow this plant from seeds which are readily available. These do need some cold stratification, so you'll want to sow them in winter or early spring. This is a similar process used for other perennial seeds you can sow after a hard frost for a blooming spring. For good germination, sow the seeds in trays and keep them moist until they sprout. Only cover them lightly with sand or vermiculite.

If you're having trouble getting the seeds to sprout, it might help if you place them in the refrigerator for around four weeks. Practice a little patience because it can take up to 6 weeks for the seeds to finally finish germinating. But, the wait will be worth it because this woodland species will bloom all summer long and even into the fall. Once you have white Corydalis planted in your garden beds, make sure that the soil remains consistently moist and doesn't dry out completely, as this could force the plant into dormancy. Other self-seeding flowers that will effortlessly cover your backyard, which you might want to consider, include blue sea holly, calendula, cosmos, and sweet alyssum.