Columbine

Last year I purchased a McKana Giant Columbine, it was a sad little 4" pot. All it did last year was grow, didn't bloom. This year it bloomed but looks nothing like the picture! I am disappointed because I have never seen the giant columbines, but at the same time I really like this little white flower!
Could anyone tell me what type this actually is? I am going to buy a couple more of the sad little 4" columbines this week and it will be interesting to see if they will be the same flower that I ended up with or what is pictured.
Also, do columbines usually not bloom in their first year?
Thanks!

Apparently my pictures didn't upload the first time.

Apparently my pictures didn't upload the first time.

Looks like a 'semi-double' white columbine.

Its beautiful, whatever it is! :o)

The white columbine reminds me of 'Clementine White' or 'Sunlight White'. Columbine are notorious for crossing if growing more than one variety.

Columbines, and most other perennials, bloom in their second year from seed.

Yeah, too bad you didn't get the 'McKana Giants' you expected (pretty bad form for the seed vendor!) but the white spurless columbine is very nice.

Reminds me of aquilegia clematiflora.

Yes, indeed.

robertsonj88 - Sorry you didn't get what you expected. McKana Giants are lovely and I found them quite easy to start from seed. Every few years I direct sow some in my best soil where I can keep them well watered. I give them a little fertilizer in late July thenI transplant to the flower bed in September, water well and mulch around them. This year I seeded Tequila Sunrise, a red/yellow combination which from the seed package resembles a larger version of our native Eastern columbine.

Thanks everyone! I bought one more of the seedlings at Lowe's, it will be interesting to see next year if it is actually a McKana Giant, what I ended up with this time, or something completely different!
Also, I have another question: While deadheading I noticed these insects in the flowers, are they good or bad? I noticed some leaves were getting chewed up too.

The majority of the almost countless insect species don't do us any harm... they're just hanging out, probably mating at this time of year (sorry ;-) ).

You might want to check on those bugs - maybe shield or stink bugs? Columbine leaf chewing is sometimes done by columbine sawfly larva. If the chewing leaves your leaves too ragged, you can trim off the chewed leaves since columbine will send up new leaves.

Another insect that actually does feed on columbines is leaf miners... possibly a species or group of them that specializes in feeding on columbines?
Anyway, your insects are neither of the two usual columbine pests.
Unless you see stink or shield bugs (or most other insects) in large numbers, chances are they are not causing any harm, or that any effects would be negligible anyway.

Try the twice stabbed stink bug.
http://www.whatsthatbug.com/2008/06/13/twice-stabbed-stink-bug-2/
http://davesgarden.com/guides/bf/showimage/1296/

Very interesting. The ones in the photo don't seem to show the distinctive colouration of the Twice-Stabbed Stink Bug, though - red and black. There's a ton of stink bugs/shield bugs.
.. and no particular reason to be concerned unless, for starters, you actually see evidence of significant damage.

Edit: To clarify, the second photo doesn't seem to show the red and black - the first does.

This message was edited Jun 26, 2015 5:19 PM

I have tons of these red and black ones mating all over the place, at first I thought it was some deformed bug then I realized they were butt to butt. Lol
Almost every plant I was deadheading and pulling weeds around had some mating on it.
I believe they have the same markings as the twice stabbed stink bug.

Yeah, the first picture shows the markings. Maybe that brown second one is another type. Supposedly they do suck on the sap. Have you noticed any damage?

I don't really know what kind of columbine you actually got but I'd call that one of those lucky instances you sometimes get in gardening. That is a BEAUTIFUL flower! I'd trade for that in a heartbeat....

Some of the leaves look a little spotty and my other perennials look fine.

Rteets, I am very happy with the mix up! I can harvest some seeds and mail you some if you would like?

What's a few spots. Here we have miners and they weaken the plant.