Capnoides spp.

rock harlequin

Papaveraceae Northern and eastern North America

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant

Native to North America

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–8

Overview

Capnoides spp. is a genus in the poppy family (Papaveraceae) represented by rock harlequin, Capnoides sempervirens, a short-lived herb of rocky North American sites. Once placed in Corydalis spp., it grows as an annual or biennial, forming an erect, branched plant 1-3 feet (30-90 cm) tall and 8-16 inches (20-40 cm) wide. The deeply divided leaves are blue-green and waxy, giving the whole plant a pale, glaucous cast. From late spring through summer it carries loose clusters of slender tubular flowers about 0.5 inch (1.5 cm) long, each pink with a yellow tip and a short backward spur. Long, narrow seed pods follow and split to drop small black seeds. The genus pioneers open, disturbed ground, springing up on cliffs, rocky clearings, gravel, and recently burned or logged sites, then fading as other plants close in. Because it is short-lived, a stand persists only where bare ground and seed keep new plants coming. The divided foliage contains alkaloids that deter grazing animals. Plants do poorly in rich, wet soil and grow on lean, sharply drained ground.

Native Range

Capnoides sempervirens is native to northern and eastern North America, from across boreal Canada and Alaska south through New England and the Great Lakes to the southern Appalachians. It grows on rocky outcrops, cliff ledges, and disturbed or recently burned ground, often where the soil is thin and acid.

Suggested Uses

Plants are used in rock gardens, gravel gardens, and dry native plantings, and on banks and disturbed sites where little else takes hold. The pioneering habit fits restoration of burned or cleared ground. Bumblebees work the tubular flowers through summer.

How to Identify

Pale blue-green, finely divided foliage with a waxy bloom is the first clue, recalling a bleeding-heart or Corydalis spp.. The flowers are slender pink tubes about 0.5 inch (1.5 cm) long, each tipped in yellow and ending in a short rounded spur, carried in open clusters above the leaves. Slim upright seed pods follow and split lengthwise to release shiny black seeds.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height1' - 3'

Width/Spread8" - 1'4"

Reaches mature size in approximately 2 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~8 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering runs from late spring into late summer, generally May to August, and can continue where the season stays cool and moist. Flowers open a few at a time in branched clusters, each lasting several days. Seed sets quickly, and self-sown seedlings carry the plant from one year to the next.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

pink with yellow tips

Foliage Description

blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.0 - 7.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

rocky sand loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years from seed

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in full sun to part shade on lean, gritty, sharply drained soil with an acid to neutral pH of 5.0 to 7.0. The genus withstands drought and poor, rocky ground, and stands decline in rich or constantly wet soil. As a short-lived plant, it depends on fresh seed and open ground to keep a colony going, so some seed pods are left to ripen and scatter. Cold is not a limiting factor, since the plant is hardy well into the north. Few pests or diseases trouble it, and the alkaloid-rich foliage is generally passed over by deer. Transplanting goes poorly, so plants are usually started from seed sown where they are to grow.

Pruning

No routine pruning is needed for this short-lived plant. Spent stems can be sheared after flowering to limit self-sowing, or left in place so pods ripen and shed seed. Whole plants are pulled once they brown and die at the end of their cycle.