I mean they look like blue looks to describe to a blind man, but the closest thing I can think of is to say they look like a non-jagged glossier dandelion.
Via the miracle of 'Google':

haha "non-jagged glossier dandelion" is perfect. Maybe a little floppier as well.

I'm quite familiar with the foliage since that's all I usually get, but I'm sure it's just not happy with where I'm growing it.

Well, in an aforementioned order with trilliums, I also ebayed dodecatheon frenchii at the same time/same vendor (the white one), which arrived with molding foliage it had grown while in the peat bags. I absolutely KNEW they wouldn't live, but I planted them anyway. And dang if pretty much every one didn't live. It took 3 more years for them to recover and flower, but I have three that flower. They've done fantastically, they reseed and the one that flowerered first, is forming reseeding clumps. It also now has like 5 flowering stalks on the original plant.

You just never know, I figured it was an outside chance it would grow even if a premium plant...and those rotten little peat bags..not a chance ;)

Thanks to you both! Katob, what do you think is wrong with where you are growing it?

DOES this have ephemeral foliage? I am looking for something for under my hostas. Something to look at before they unfurl. Pretty much half shade. I have a very moist area plus a slope leading down to it. So 2 areas in the same bed with very different drainage.

I am looking also into Bloodroot and Dutchman's Breeches. I'd say white trillium too but I have not had a huge amount of luck with the ones I've tried. Doing ok with red Prairie Trillium. I need SHORT anyway. I am open to suggestions.

dbarron, would you share the name of your EBay vendor? You can PM me if you prefer. I've narrowed it down to a few. Seems like the same people are on Etsy too, but with different names.

I'd say it decays away in May or early June for me. So not as ephemeral as that.

Bloodroot can also retain foliage (but it doesn't have much to begin with) over summer.

It's been more than five years, sorry, I have no idea now (and I don't think my ebay purchases go back that far).

I can't think of much that meets your wishes, because most things I can think of that die down that early, require a drier rest than your hostas are going to tolerate....plus hostas aren't really that late in leafing out, so would get in the way of things needing to store energy. There's a couple of winter foliage orchids that might fit the bill, but they tend to flower in late summer/autumn before growth of the foliage, so all you'd be getting would be patterned foliage for winter/earliest spring.

If you're warm enough, some of the winter foliage lycoris could grow there and produce late summer/autumn flowers.

One thing that surprised me (after seeing in grow in the wild) is how much better it grows with 1/2 sun than mostly shade. Is that your issue Katob maybe? Though I have to say when some hot sun hits it..the foliage looks pretty sad till the sun gets off it (this is on 80+ degree spring days..which aren't too many usually).

The hot sun hitting the foliage is probably why mine is so floppy. It does look sad! Half day sun is where I have it, so it gets a decent amount. Maybe the soil is too heavy or not free-draining enough? Primulas seem to do well in the spot, but so does jewelweed and cardinal flower, so it is kind of wet. I did have a bloom this year, but couldn't find a picture which is probably for the best since it was barely a bloom, and wouldn't do much to sell the plant.

I think dutchman's breeches would be an excellent choice. I think it will bloom and disappear fast enough to do well in the same spot as the hostas. Last spring I noticed either this or the similar squirrel corn growing in the local woods and coming up in people's lawns so it's early enough to deal with mowing etc.

Hmmm that reminds me that the only person I knew who had some didn't have enough to share. Must find source! local and free if possible :)

Would you consider non-native corydalis solida?

Actually my yard is almost best described as a swamp, cardinal flower, greater blue lobelia, monkeyflower, and rudbeckia triloba reseed all over the lawn. So I don't think it's drainage (strangely).

Most corydalis want fairly severe drainage, that's why I didn't mention it...but solida is the most tolerant one I can think of. Would be worth a try, for me, it's like a week or so of color only though :(

Thanks again. I have both the slope and the sump, so to speak. So areas with 2 different kinds of drainage.

I have corydalis solida in a different bed. It’s the yellow one. It’s funny, I was given it quite a few years ago. Planted it and then it disappeared. Now lo, it showed up last year. I think the foliage is very pretty but I don’t think I would seek it out again for this new bed it’s blooming NOW which I thought was odd. I thought it bloomed in the spring.

I’m not looking specifically for natives. The hosta aren’t natives either. ;)

I am Zone 5b Chicagoland. I have added it to my name several times but it disappeared. I think it’s too cold here for any Lycoris.

I discovered Mayapple recently and think the leaves are fascinating, and a good replacement for your "Deer Salad", aka Hostas. They might need a little more shade tho.

I do have a couple of mayapples. I too like their foliage. I don't have deer (lucky me), so the hostas survive pretty well except for bugs. .

You could try hardy Cyclamen. Their foliage is winter green but summer dormant. C hederifolium.

eta I just noticed you said your Corydalis is yellow. If it's yellow it's not C solida.

I have since learned that the yellow Corydalis is C. lutea, and only the new pink one is C. solida. I originally thought they were just two different colors of the same species. Bloom time is different too.

And C lutea isn't ephemeral, at least not in my climate. It's evergreen and likes growing in walls and paving rather than in the ground,