The corydalis is Beth Evans, which I think is solida. Supposedly they are very easy to grow, but that info comes from sellers. I haven't dug it to check, I've killed some plants doing that. This definitely disappeared long before my dicentra, which is still visable but fading right now. I probably should cut it back when it starts looking this bad. I planted close to my hosta where I tend to water more, although we've had regular rain all summer so the soil has never really gotten dry.

Eric, that cultivar of Phytolacca americana is quite striking. I wonder if it would seed true? Pokeweed is one of the weediest plants on my lot, and one of the few wild natives that competes effectively with the exotic invasives. The same suspects that NHbabs deals with - buckthorn, oriental bittersweet, Rosa multiflora, etc. One other "worst weedy" is the species Eupatorium rugosum which I started from seed. If you think the chocolate version is weedy, you should see the regular green version. Rampant grower and seeder in shade or drought, and none of the critters eat it. At least it's native and the flowers are pretty, and the bumblebees love them.

Ron Ratko has C. caseana this year. His email address: oreonana@mbay.net . It's much too late to plant them this year, unless you are going to use the fridge. I would keep them in dry cold storage until late summer. Sierra Seed Supply also sells caseana. Corydalis seed quickly dies in warm dry storage, so don't be too surprised if germination is poor. If you get too discouraged, you may need to google Sierra Seed Company (not the same as Sierra Seed Supply). Here is a link that might be useful: Sierra Seed Supply

z5 is half the US ... you will get better info.. if you list a big city name ... winter dormancy is the key.. get it dormant.. keep it dormant ... and a zone appropriate plant will survive ... none of this going in and out of dormancy all winter long ... snow cover is the best insulator ... the plant will not wake up in some mid winter warm spell ... you win ... a good cover of mulch ... will also help insulate bare soil ... if done deep enough.. and well after the plant is fully dormant ... you win ... sun on bare soil in jan.. can make a plant come out of dormancy .. you lose ... both st Louis MO and rouge up in canada .. are z5 .. one barely has snow or frozen soil .. the other the opposite ... but both have the same minimum winter temp ... so zone really doesnt tell us much .... so it really matters.. where you are ... ken