Have you seen this enchanting wildflower? Columbine (Aquilegia), with its multi-colored petals, blooms from spring through early summer. Though this native perennial appears delicate, it’s among the hardiest of native plants and is deer-resistant and pollinator-friendly. Learn all about growing columbine.What is a Columbine Flower?Columbine (Aquilegia), aka granny’s bonnet, is a perennial flower that blooms in the spring. There are more than 70 species of columbines, including native colu...
Have you seen this enchanting wildflower? Columbine (Aquilegia), with its multi-colored petals, blooms from spring through early summer. Though this native perennial appears delicate, it’s among the hardiest of native plants and is deer-resistant and pollinator-friendly. Learn all about growing columbine.
What is a Columbine Flower?
Columbine (Aquilegia), aka granny’s bonnet, is a perennial flower that blooms in the spring. There are more than 70 species of columbines, including native columbines that grow wild in mountain areas, along stream beds, and in temperate woodlands. The deep-blue columbines that grow as wildflowers in the Colorado mountains are direct descendants of the earliest columbines.
This unusual and breathtakingly beautiful flower displays a small bell-shaped buttercup-like flower with five petals nestled within five long backward-extending spurs. The petals are often bi-colored and may be bright red with pink, lavender, blue, yellow, white, or a combination of these colors! Columbines cross-pollinate easily, so new species form frequently. Their pretty blue-green, lacy foliage stays green long after the blossoms disappear, turning purple or red in the fall.
The flowers attract butterflies, bees, moths, and hummingbirds—but thankfully, not deer! This hardy plant is also quite resilient and drought-tolerant. Once started, columbine propagates for years and, although perennial, increases most rapidly by self-seeding.
See the video below to view this flower in manyshades:
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Planting
Columbines grow well in the sun or light shade. Although these plants aren’t picky about soil conditions, they do prefer well-draining soil of average fertility.
Growing
Types
Among the more than 70 species of columbine, these are the favorites to cultivate:
The Swan series includes bicolor, midsize (16- to 22-inch) hybrids excellent for cutting when half open …
Harvesting
Cut flowers for indoor arrangements when they are half open. Vase life is 5 to 7 days.
Gardening Products
Wit and Wisdom
Pests/Diseases
Columbine Pests and DiseasesPest/Disease | Type | Symptoms | Control/Prevention |
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Leaf miners | Insect | Meandering blisters in leaves caused by tunneling larvae | Remove infested leaves; weed around plants; use row covers; till soil early in season; rotate plantings |
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Leaf spot (fungal) | Fungus | Leaf spots on lower leaves enlarge and turn brown/black; fuzzy growth or pustules in lesions; disease progresses upward; leaves die | Destroy infected leaves/severely infected plants (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; disinfect garden tools; choose resistant varieties; good air circulation; avoid overhead watering |
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Powdery mildew | Fungus | White spots or flourlike coating on upper leaf surfaces; leaves drop; distortion/stunting | Destroy infected parts (do not compost); remove plant debris regularly; resistant varieties; good air circulation/sunlight; spray plants with solution of 1 teaspoon baking soda/1 qt water; prevent plant stress; avoid overhead watering |
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Root-knot nematodes | Nematode | Roots “knotty” or galled; plants stunted/yellow/wilted/weakened; leaves and other parts may distort or die; poor flowering | Destroy infested plant debris after flowering season, including roots (do not compost); disinfect garden tools; choose resistant varieties; solarize soil; plant French marigolds (Tagetes patula) as a trap crop; rotate plantings |
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Rust | Fungus | Orange pustules on underside of lower leaves/stems; spots on upper leaf surfaces; foliage distorts/dies/drops; stunting; poor flowering; plants weakened | Destroy infected parts/severely diseased plants; remove plant debris regularly; disinfect tools; resistant varieties; good air circulation; avoid overhead watering; weed diligently |
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Southern blight (white mold) | Fungus | Leaves/stems/entire plants wilt, brown or blacken, and may die; water-soaked lesions on lower stems; crown/bulb/rhizome rot; fluffy, white fungal mats with mustard-seed–like balls on stems’ bases/nearby soil | Destroy infected parts/plants, white fungal mats, and surrounding soil to at least 6 inches beyond plant and 8 inches deep; remove plant debris regularly; disinfect garden tools; solarize soil; resistant varieties; provide good drainage |
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Flowers
About The Author
Catherine Boeckmann
Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana. Read More from Catherine Boeckmann