Corydalis

Corydalis, Corydalis ambigua, aka fumewort, is a member of the poppy family and is a Northern Hemisphere native, particularly in the regions of China and the Himalayas. There are more than 540 species in the family. It thrives in my garden and is such an unfussy plant. It self sows but is compact rather than invasive. I have the white and blue flowering versions in my garden. The tuber is ground and dried for use.

It has a long history of use in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) but is less used by Western herbal medicine pactitioners. It is one plant the drug tetrahydropalmatine derives from.

Please note, it is contraindicated during pregnancy and it may interact with some medications. It also may have side effects so it is best to use it under supervision of a medical herbalist or TCM practitioner.

Corydalis is known for its pain relieving (analgesic) actions so along with being antispasmolytic it may be used for internal pain in the abdomen or headaches. It may also be used for IBS. As it is a mild sedative and has hypotic actions it may be indicated for insomnia and anxiety. It is considered to be antiarrhythmic so indicated for arrhythmias and palpiations.

One scientific review from 2014 indicates it may be of use for pain relief. There has been limited research done on the scientific uses of this plant.

Corydalis, Corydalis ambigua is a sweet addition to my flower garden