Columbine

Perennial

Aquilegia vulgaris

Columbine

A native cottage-garden perennial with nodding, spurred flowers in blue, purple, pink and white in late spring.

  • Full sun, Partial shade
  • 50–90 cm (20–35 in)
  • 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
  • H7 · Zone 5
  • May–June
  • Deciduous

Overview

Columbine, also called granny’s bonnet, is a clump-forming perennial with ferny, blue-green leaves and nodding, spurred flowers on slender stems in late spring and early summer. The wild form is violet-blue, and garden forms come in purple, pink, white and bicolours, some double.

It grows in sun or partial shade in moist but well-drained soil and is ideal for cottage borders and woodland edges. Plants are short-lived but self-seed generously, and the seedlings cross freely, giving a changing mix of colours. Cut back after flowering if you don’t want seedlings or if the leaves get mildew.

Very hardy, to below −20°C (−4°F), USDA zones 3–8. It prefers cool to warm summers; in hot climates grow it in light shade. It has naturalised in parts of North America and south-eastern Australia.

At a Glance

Sun Full sun, Partial shade
Height 50–90 cm (20–35 in)
Spread 30–45 cm (12–18 in)
Hardiness H7 · Zone 5
Flowers May–June
Soil Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
Moisture Moist well drained
Habit Clumping, Upright
Water Moderate
Maintenance Easy

Growing Conditions

Min. Temperature -25°C (-13°F)
pH Range 6–7.5
Fertility Average
Drainage Moderate

Aspect Suitability

  • East-facing
  • South-facing

Site Tolerance

  • Exposed sites

Soil Tolerance

  • Clay
  • Chalk
  • Sandy
  • Loam
  • Acid
  • Neutral pH
  • Alkaline

Foliage

Persistence Deciduous
Colour Blue-green
Leaf shape / texture bipinnate

Foliage interest: March–October

Seasonal Timeline

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Flowering
Foliage
Propagate
  • Flowering May Jun
  • Foliage Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
  • Propagate Apr Jul Aug Sep

How to propagate

One way to grow more Columbine:

From seed Jul–Sep Easy
  • Needs light to germinate: press onto the surface, don't cover
  • Needs a cold spell first: 4 weeks in the fridge in damp compost or sand (or sow outside in autumn and let winter do it)
  • Germinates best at about 16°C
  • Comes up in 21–56 days
  • Prick out about 6 weeks after sowing
  • Pot on about 12 weeks after sowing
  • Stored seed needs a few weeks of cold.

You'll need: Seed tray, seed compost

  1. Sow fresh seed on the surface and cover lightly.
  2. Leave outside in a cool, shaded spot.
  3. Prick out into pots when large enough.
  4. Plant out the following spring.
How long
10 minutes
It's worked when
high
Then
Flowers in its second year.

Sow fresh seed in late summer; it crosses freely, so seedlings rarely match the parent.

Maintenance Calendar

  • May Check for aquilegia sawfly caterpillars stripping the leaves
  • Jun Remove mildewed or downy-mildew-spotted leaves
  • Jul Cut back after flowering unless saving seed
  • Aug Sow fresh seed in trays or where it is to flower

Garden Design

Works well in: Cottage, Wildlife-friendly, Woodland / Shade

Let it drift between later perennials to fill the gap between bulbs and summer flowers.

Companion planting: Alliums, Ferns, Geraniums, Foxgloves

Wildlife Value

  • Bees
  • Other pollinators
  • RHS Plants for Pollinators

Safety

Self-seeds freely and has naturalised in parts of North America and Victoria, Australia; remove seed heads where it may spread. The seeds and roots of plants in this family are commonly treated as harmful if eaten.