Corydalis 'Tory MP'

Fumitory Fumariaceae

 A true-blue Corydalis that stands up straight, keeps flowering and occasionally disappears for the summer. This excellent hybrid between the Chinese Corydalis flexuosa and C. elata was a seedling found at Pan Global Plants and named by Nick Macer around 2000. The name is, naturally, a botanical political joke: its vivid blue flowers are ‘true blue’, while its habit of going on and on is apparently another Conservative characteristic. 

The joke aside, this is a seriously good garden plant. Ferny, light-green foliage forms a handsome clump, above which reddish stems carry exceptionally rich, scented blue flowers from late spring into summer, often with a second flush in early autumn when conditions are favourable. It is notably vigorous — Pan Global considers it the most vigorous Corydalis in its National Collection. Give it fertile, humus-rich, moisture-retentive soil in partial shade and let it do what it does best: go on and on. 

Flowering: May–July, often repeating in autumn
Hardiness: H5, approximately –15 to –10°C 
Height: 60–75cm
Spread: 30–45cm
Origin: Seedling found at Pan Global Plants; C. flexuosa × C. elata, named by Nick Macer c.2000