Columbine or Granny's Bonnet (Aquilegia x hybrida)
Plant Information Life Cycle: Perennial
Planting Time: Spring or Fall
Height: 20" to 30" (dwarf from 8")
Exposure: Full Sun or Light Shade
Soil: any good garden soil
Hardiness: Zones 3 to 8
Bloom Time: Spring and early summer
Propagation: Natives by seeds, hybrids by division.
Uses: Beds, borders, cut flowers, wildflower meadows, rock gardens
Location
Choose your location carefully because columbines
don't like to be moved, and they don't grow well
in containers because of their long tap root. In
hot southern climates, try to provide a little shade
part of the day.
Watering
One thing columbines insist on is adequate water.
They like a soil that is always a little moist,
and during dry spells you'll have to water your
columbines regularly. Adding organic material to
the soil and using a few inches mulch of will help
the soil retain moisture.
Seed
Heads
Most columbines tend to self-sow. The taller types
tend to self-sow more readily than the dwarf types,
and as with most plants, hybrids may not produce
seedlings true to the parent types. If you enjoy
the cycle of self-seeding, my suggestion is to let
them try the first year. If you don't like the results,
it's easy enough to remove the seedlings in future
years. On the down side, allowing plants to go to
seed may shorten their life span.
Tip
As with most flowers, you can prolong the bloom
season by pinching off faded flowers, but toward
the end of the bloom season, leave plenty of flowers
to form seedheads. The seedheads are attractive,
and will add a point of interest to the winter garden.
