Corydalis seeds sale, May-June 2026

Various Corydalis seeds, in limited quantities, are available now for those interested – for a short time: one week or while quantities lasts.
Surprise, surprise, I also collected the first Corydalis nobilis seeds yesterday!

With Corydalis malkensis, Corydalis cava fo. alba and C. solida – white form, we can call it a Corydalis white sale! There is only 1 pck. of Corydalis cava ssp. marschalliana that will be gifted to the first person that will order a few Corydalis seeds packets. The product page is only to provide information. Add it to your collection!

As in previous years, the first fresh seeds of the season that need to be sown fresh will be displayed on top of the Seed List. It is the easiest way to add them to your cart by clicking on the links provided.

The conditions for sales remain the same like in previous years:

All seeds are the result of open pollination and there is no guarantee on the % of seedlings resembling the mother plants.

For the sake of speed, all seeds are shipped double packed in glassine envelopes which are then placed inside a plastic bag, instead of using moist vermiculite. It works very well and allows for inventory accuracy/orders preparation and also for easier handling & sowing, especially for customers who are not used with handling moist packed seeds.

Orders for the Corydalis seeds can be combined with other species, but keep the adds-on short please. You can add good plants companions (Lathyrus, Primula) or warm germinating species you can still sow (Ipomopsis, Dianthus, Campanula rotundifolia…).

Some species are limited 1 pck./order, all others 2 pck. as usual.

I maintain the minimum of 2 pck. in the cart required for local orders (although I would appreciate at least 3+). Sorry, no international orders for these seeds; there are suppliers of seeds/plants in EU for Corydalis.

Before ordering, please read with attention all info from the products pages and also review if necessary:
Growing Corydalis and allies  from seeds

Thank you and enjoy!

Corydalis seeds sale – coming up!

Corydalis solida – white form

Just before the heat wave I collected the last seeds from the only white form of Corydalis solida from the garden. I always collect the seeds from the nicest specimens to sow them in my desired locations.
I thought again about how this beautiful specimen appeared in my garden ‘out of nowhere’. It truly embodies the Corydalis solida spirit 😊 They will appear (and sometimes disappear) at will, in various colors and various parts of the garden.

The arrival of the spring would be so much poor without them. They bring color, hope and the excitement of new forms flowering. So, even if there are small seeds quantities this spring, we’ll have a short-flash sale starting Saturday.  

Another post will follow with more explanations. Stay tuned…(insider tip: another white beauty, Corydalis cava fo. alba seeds will also be available).

Meanwhile, we can have a close look at the seeds elaiosomes of a few species. While some of the bulbous Corydalis are very look-alike flower and foliage wise, the elaiosomes are most often characteristic for a given species, being different in shape and size and they can help with the identification.

They are easy to observe with a regular hand lens; the only drawback is that it needs to be done on freshly collected seeds. The elaiosomes will dry out very fast afterwards, their only function being to help with the dispersal by attracting ants (and maybe other small creatures). However, for example it is an easy way to establish the identity of Corydalis caucasica versus Corydalis solida, or to make sure you actually grow Corydalis cava or C. marschalliana, instead of something else.

Corydalis solida seeds elaiosomes

Corydalis caucasica seeds elaiosomes

Corydalis cava seeds elaiosomes

Corydalis cava ssp. marschalliana seeds elaiosomes

The devil is truly in the details! I think the differences are easy to observe.

Welcome to May, 2026

After a cold April, May arrived with the same weather pattern. Comparing with other years, Hepatica americana and Hepatica acutiloba flowered poorly, in some cases with a few late buds opening after the first wave of flowers. There are still a few flowers on some Hepatica nobilis, Hepatica americana and Hepatica transsilvanica in the deeper shade!

Native species wise, Iris lacustris and Primula mistassinica enjoyed the record amounts of snow of last winter and both flowered spectacularly and for a long time. Besides various Trillium species, Asarum canadense (wild ginger), Uvularia grandiflora, Mitella diphylla, Viola labradorica,Viola rostrata, Stylophorum diphyllum, Anemone quinquefolia (to name just a few) are in bloom at this time. I just noticed the first open flower on Prosartes lanuginosa today and Hydrastis canadensis will follow shortly by the look of it.
Information about most of these native species, and not only, is available by clicking on their name in the Seed List (images, description, propagation from seeds).

The Large flowered Trillium, Trillium grandiflorum, remains the ‘star of May’ in Ontario. Many images, including its spring companions were added over the years on this website. The companion plants are the same, they only flower at slightly different times depending on the region & weather.
For those wishing to review and maybe get inspired for adding various native species to their gardens, please follow the links below:
Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions (2023)
Trillium grandiflorum 2022
Out in the woods: Trillium grandiflorum and companions (2021)

Garden wise, the cooler weather has been a blessing for planting and transplanting/dividing larger perennials. On the other hand, the seedlings are growing very slow; advantages and disadvantages.

Welcome to May, much to admire, do, and so little time….just a small selection of native and non-native species.

Iris lacustris

Thalictrum thalictroides

Trillium cuneatum

Glaucidium palmatum

Pulsatilla pratensis hybrid

Viola dissecta (2)

Corydalis solida white form

* The bulbous Corydalis flowering was OK, but due to the April weather the seeds set is not looking great, with some exceptions; the same applies for most Hepatica species (and other very early flowering species). By the end of  the month we’ll have a clearer picture and decide if worth offering a limited selection of such seeds this year.

As usual, there will be an announcement for the first fresh seeds of the season.

Spring beauties #2

Springtime is undeniable ‘ten thousand flowers season’ in our region. For many, it is also a seedlings bonanza period! That is, for those who went to trouble of sowing something…

The seedlings started indoors (in late February-March) are all grown up and need to be acclimatized outdoors. This has to be done gradually by keeping them outside when weather allows, as long as possible, including during the night.
During the cold spells with low night temperatures (for example, this weekend), which are frequent especially in April, the seedlings need to be taken back indoors. It is a bit of work, but worth doing it.

Indoor seedlings 2026

Papaver bracteatum

Bukiniczia seedlings 2026

*For those owning a cold frame, the process is much easier, place them inside and close the lid; add one more layer of insulation when the night temperature drops below zero.

The seeds that were sown in late fall/winter outdoors (those in need of a cold/moist stratification) are usually starting to germinate in April-May; some sooner, some later. Be patient, not all species germinate at once, they all have different needs.

The seedlings germinated outdoors are usually hardy and normally do not need extra protection during the cold spells. However, unusually high temperatures of 20+C for a few days (like we already had a few times in April), will make them grow faster and less sturdy. Fleshy tissue is always prone to frost damage.

To be on the safe side, I also took inside the outdoors germinated seedlings when we had a -5C night temperature. The indoor lights can get a double function or, if not enough space under lights keeping them in any cool place inside it is better than outside.

Iris hookeri seedlings

Scutellaria incana

Clematis sibirica seedlings

Daphne mezereum-white seedlings

Viola rostrata seedlings

Trautvetteria caroliniensis, False bugbane

Just like the plants themselves, by being adaptable, we can succeed in growing nice, beautiful seedlings and new plants without much fuss and money.

Addendum for Diphylleia cymosa germination.

The germination is complete now. We easily notice that the cotyledon leaves are very similar to those of a Podophyllum and also Glaucidium.

Considering that Diphylleia is a rhizome forming species and also belongs to the Berberidacaea family, it is very likely that during its first season the growth will concentrate on the root system and the upper part will remain at the cotyledon leaves stage (as described for Podophyllum and also Glaucidium palmatum).

Spring beauties

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As our April weather roller coaster continues, more and more spring beauties, literally 😉 and figuratively, are showing up. Foliage, flowers, seedlings; it is hard to keep up with them all. Just a few pictures, there are already plenty images with Corydalis and other spring flowers on this website.

Corydalis malkensis

Claytonia virginica

Chrysosplenium iowense

Jeffersonia diphylla

Pachyphragma macrophyllum

Primula mistassinica

Although I enjoy them blooming, sometimes I wish the peonies will remain in this early stage for the whole season!

Paeonia tenuifolia

Paeonia ex. wendelboi

Paeonia officinalis ssp. huhtii

Seedlings news

I have also sown 5-6 seeds of Diphylleia cymosa for testing last year and they are germinating. So, those who purchased  seeds (and sowed them like advised) keep an eye on it. Yesterday I also noticed signs of germination on the Daphne mezereum  (white) sowing pot. 
Various Corydalis seeds should have already germinated a while ago; a picture here with Corydalis malkensis seedlings (seeds sown in a more ‘controlled fashion’ last summer; never enough Corydalis, eh?)

Diphylleia cymosa seedlings

Corydalis malkensis seedlings

A seedlings dedicated post coming soon….

In pink, blue and purple

For those with Hepatica flowers in their mind 😊 yes, most of them are flowering in all colors; or better said, they are trying between the heavy rain showers of the past days. There have been very few good moments for taking pictures.
More Hepatica nobilis plants were planted in the ground last summer and after a very long, snowy and cold winter they are looking excellent. There is no reason to pamper them in pots.

Hepatica nobilis multipetal

Hepatica nobilis leaf form marbled

Hepatica nobilis leaf form

Besides the usual garden residents, I always eagerly await the first time flowering of new seedlings.
In connection with the seeds offered in the shop, in a pot with  6-7 seedlings of H. nobilis ‘Walter’ (multipetal pink),  2 seedlings are flowering. The news is both good and bad: good because one of them is picture perfect of the mother-plant, bad because the other one is blue. 

Hepatica nobilis ‘Walter’

Hepatica nobilis ‘Walter’ seedling

Since all the plants are open-pollinated it is understandable though. I would like to emphasize the good news – from a larger batch of seedlings, one is expected to obtain at least a few true to name plants.

A seedling from the H. nobilis multipetal blue is also flowering picture perfect to the mother plant. Of course, all special forms, not just the multipetals, would be best propagated by division but alas, I cannot share them that way.

I would like to hear from those who purchased Hepatica nobilis ‘Walter’ or the Hepatica nobilis multipetal blue seeds. Do you already have flowering seedlings, and in what percentage are they true to form?
Please use the  Contact form.

Easter #2

Happy Easter to those celebrating this weekend – wishes for peace, joy and hope for new beginnings!

 

The Pasque flowers are still not blooming, so garden-wise we are celebrating with a few ‘black beauties’, plus a nice form of Corydalis solida – in the feature image.

The dark-red to purple color at emergence of some early spring plants is due to the high anthocyanins content and it is common for most Paeonia species; also for Jeffersonia dubia (Plagiorhegma dubium) and a few others. The coldest the spring weather the darker the shoots/foliage.

The accumulation of anthocyanins in the leaves and stems improve the plants adaptability to low-temperatures. In all cases, the foliage will turn to green  as it keeps expanding, in correlation with the rising spring temperatures.

Physochlaina orientalis

Jeffersonia dubia

Cardamine enneaphyllos

Caulophyllum thalictroides

Be careful with the really dark new shoots of Physochlaina orientalis and Caulophyllum; it is very easy to destroy them during the spring cleaning.

Due to its particular germination pattern, Caulophyllum thalictroides moist packed seeds can be ordered again. These seeds require two more cycles: one warm/one cold for germination (in translation, one more year sown outdoors).

*A few shoots of Caulophyllum were found on a location that receives sun for half of the day right now; in more shaded sites they may not be present yet (do not scratch the ground looking for the young shoots as they are very fragile in early spring).

Easter

To those celebrating this weekend – Happy Easter, with love, peace, hope and happiness!

With the weather being as it was/is the Pasque flowers (Pulsatilla) are not flowering yet. Some days are still very cold and it is a very rainy spring. Despite this, many spring beauties are awakening and announce the beginning of the new flowering season (a small sample for now :)

Hepatica japonica ‘Cherry Blossoms’

Primula woronovii

Helleborus purpurascens

Primula sibthorpii

Friday’s seeds – Dalea purpurea

Back again with the hugely (un)popular Friday’s seeds, by necessity.

In the first week of March I used the HWT on a small lot of Dalea purpurea, purple prairie clover ‘seeds’. Using the whole dispersal units (calyces containing the pods with seeds), I didn’t see how much the seeds have imbibed (a sign that the seedcoat was fissured). It would be tedious to remove the seeds by hand, so, those who purchased Dalea ‘seeds’ also received the whole calyces, which together with the pods and seeds inside are the plant’s ‘dispersal units’ (larger seeds companies will separate the seeds with a machine).

I sowed them the next day; on the same day, I also sowed a small pot with untreated calyces. In both cases the germination was been poor, to use a nice term; only 1 seedling on each pot. 

For this reason the situation begs further study.

For Dalea purpurea, until you see the actual seeds, it is not easy to guess being in the legumes family (Fabaceae). The seeds remain enclosed in 1-seaded pods and these are in turn included within the persistent, fuzzy calyces. As a whole, again these are called dispersal units. Some are wrongly calling them fruits.

Where are the actual fruits? And how do they look? By gently squeezing a dry calyx, the seed enclosed in a papery outer covering comes out. It doesn’t look like a pod, but that’s what it is: a pod with a very thin fruit wall, as seen in the image below.

Dalea purpurea (purple prairie clover) dispersal units: calyces, pods and seeds

Dalea purpurea seeds after one treatment with hot water

Now that we deciphered the Dalea fruits-seeds dilemma, back to the HWT yesterday, using cleaned seeds this time. This is how they looked today; about ½ have imbibed well and were already sown.

Possible reasons for the poor germination in the first attempt:
A single HWT treatment wasn’t enough to break the seedcoat (for genera like Hedysarum and Astragalus the seeds need 2-3+ treatments with hot water); it is also be possible that the presence of calyces impeded the process.

Second reason: the temperature at which the pots are kept is +/- 21 C daytime. I found a study that indicates 25C as a good temperature for germination. It is likely that more seeds will germinate in time, but we aim for a more uniform germination.

I’ll update the germination info on the product page, as soon I have more data. Keep in mind that scarification can always be employed instead of HWT, I just do not like to use it, especially for small size seeds.

Happy Spring equinox

Today we welcome the astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere, even if it doesn’t look like it in our region. However, the few early flowers and the colourful buds of Helleborus and Hepatica agree with the announcement (Hepatica transsilvanica flower bud in the top image).
So, we are getting ready, transplanting seedlings and maybe even sowing some annuals.

I will add a bit more info about the transplanting subject for now.
We try to grow many different perennials species, and there are situations when the most common rules for pricking out don’t apply. It is disheartening to have a nice germinating pot with seedlings only to lose them when transplanting. 

I will emphasize today the case of tiny seedlings with extremely long and often unbranched roots. They are characteristic of small size alpine species that grow in harsh environments.
Most such seedlings will develop very long, thin roots in search for good conditions, soil and water wise, and to anchor themselves well into the ground.
Most often these are species that can be found in the wild growing on thin substrates, among rocks and crevices. The thin, long roots can squeeze themselves into the thinnest cracks of the rocks.

I will use as an example Erigeron vagus (Rambling fleabane)* sown this year. Notice the low size seedlings, maybe 0,5 cm tall (left) by comparison to the roots, which are already tangled at the bottom of the sowing pot (right image).

Many alpine species are in fact easy to germinate but they are difficult to handle later at the seedlings stage. It is best to watch closely the bottom of the top and if you see roots protruding, it is time to transplant them no matter of the size of seedlings above the ground. Even so, sometimes the fine, long roots are already circling at the bottom of pots, which is not ideal (ideal would be to transplant very tiny seedlings soon after germination, but that is also difficult). 

Skipping the transplanting and planting the whole sowing pot in the rockery is not a good option in this case. So, we have to give it a try even at this stage.
As I mentioned in another post, let the pot dry out before transplanting; the roots will break more easily if the mix is too wet (and heavy).
Then, gently separated some of the seedlings (inevitably we will lose some of the roots and seedlings in the process). Plant 2-3 seedlings together/pot (in case some won’t make it). Here are the seedlings after one week. With care and patience, we can succeed!*Erigeron vagus – the seeds were received from a seeds exchange, so I keep the name. It is an Erigeron for sure but remains to be seen after flowering if it is truly E. vagus. 

Superb fringes

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Superbus, superba, superbum – Latin adjectives used as specific epithets in the scientific names of many plants and animals.

Back in stock after a few years absence: Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanensis, a truly superb Dianthus. I am very taken with this subspecies from the Sayan Mountains with large, pink, fragrant flowers with deeply tasseled petals.
It has an excellent cold hardiness, enjoying relatively moist and sunny to light shaded locations.

Dianthus superbus ssp. sajanenis seedlings, March 2026

Unfortunately, a very hungry and probably angry rabbit chewed down my plant a few years ago and it didn’t manage to recuperate well afterwards.  

Never have just one plant of something you really like 😉

The back-up seedlings are growing under lights now and I can share the rest of the seeds. Like most Dianthus, it is easy to germinate (in this case, 3-4 weeks of cold/moist stratification give best results), the seedlings are fast growing and usually will start flowering after two years.

Dianthus seedlings are still small, but some other species grown under lights, like the Papaver bracteatum shown not so long ago, are in need of transplanting. Those requiring advice on this subject can review 2 older posts:
Pricking- transplanting seedling
Transplanting seedlings #2
plus do not forget about the most recent one: Addendum to (not)pricking out seedlings.

Repetition

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Like most other years, the first week of March brings with it the first snowdrops (early forms) and the hope for the spring’s arrival. It is always an exciting time when we are eager to start working in our gardens. Until possible to do so, plans are being made and (too many) seeds are sown.
After watching many nice plants pictures over the winter some people might also purchase seeds on an impulse.

Most seeds orders from  late February and March always have in common a combination of species: warm and cold germinators. It is nothing wrong about it, but it is important to know how to proceed for best results. Good timing for sowing is very important; please review a previous post if needed:
Timing the sowing in the spring.

Astragalus missouriensis seeds after 1 hot water treatment; notice only 2 imbibed seeds. Astragalus species have particularly hard seedcoats and 2-3 treatments are necessary.

Also like in most other years, at this time I use the Hot water treatment on a few species from the Fabaceae family. Please access the link provided, if you want to know more about this easy to apply germination treatment (and related posts): FAQ – Hot water treatment.

On my list this year: Hedysarum boreale, Astragalus missouriensis, Lupinus perennis and  Dalea purpurea (Purple prairie clover).

All these native species would make good additions to my garden: drought resistant, pollinator magnets, and set to improve the soil, like all other legume plants do.

The Purple prairie clover seeds are supposed to germinate at room temperature without additional treatments, but I never germinated it before and it is best to double check it (I will sow few seeds with and without the HWT treatment).

 

Also, on the account of a Fridays seeds – an image with Dalea purpurea ‘seeds’. In this case, the seeds (and pods) remain enclosed in their fuzzy calyces and are sowed as such, in most cases. I would use the HWT the same. I removed a few of the actual seeds just for the demonstration purpose only.

Dalea purpurea, Purple prairie clover ‘seeds’ enclosed in fuzzy calyces and the actual seeds (seen to the right)