I went out today after a weeks absence to collect seeds from my white columbine. The seeds were ready to be collected, but to my surprise, there were about 10 miniature flowers that decided to come from somewhere, about an inch across on the plant with the brown seed pods! Is this unusual or normal? This was my first year for blooming colombines.
Columbines with babies while forming seeds!
I don't know about that exactly, but I had an unusual columbine this year. Same plants as last year, but one yellow one kept blooming until last week. All the others quit around the first of June, so this one bloomed at least 6-7 weeks longer. It was drying seed pods even as the last flowers bloomed, but the flowers were at the top, and full-sized.
Now thats weird too! What is it with these columbines this year???
havent you guys had alot of rain this year? Aquilegias love moist conditions and dont like being too hot so maybe this one was making hay whilst it rained!!;):D here in the UK it is much cooler and wetter so the AQuilegias have a far longer flowering period. In fact I havent finished gathering in all my aquilegia seed yet.
psilo: yes, we have had more rain than usual this year, maybe breaking our 5-year drought. But, I usually keep the bed where the columbine (Aquilegia) is planted fairly moist any year.
If these one inch tiny flowers go to seed, will next years plants be a miniature size also or will I get the normal size plant? Yes we have had tons of rain, but why this one plant???
djm are these flowers definatly part of the same plant or another aquilegia that has seeded so close beside it you can hardly tell. I have clumps of columbines in my garden which on first sight look like they are 2 different colours but are in fact 2 plants coming from almost the same place. If the small flowers are part of the large flowered plant then it is highly unlikely thatthe seeds will produce small flowers next year. It is probably just the plant having a last flourish for whatever reason.
My mother in law this year has many aquilegias with tiny flowers on them. It will be interesting to see if they remian tiny next year too.
Oh, pooh, psilo. I was hoping the saved seeds from the long-lasting aquilegia would make better plants next year.
maybe they will darius, that is how natural selection works, maybe yours is the flower that has developed differently to all the others? There is no harm in trying! :)
Hi this is a new Columbine this year. I think it's worth a view.
My flower beds are mostly peranials for British Columbia.
Thanks for looking. Hugs Sharron
such a beautiful rich colour, is it quite a big flower too? Thankyou for showing it to us! :)
Columbine do well in my USDA Zone 3 climate. We have cool soil and lots of rain, so they never die back in the summer. The smaller columbine (A. flabellata) bloom in the spring and do not bloom the rest of the summer. Their seed pods form fairly early. The taller varieties, such as McKana's Giant, bloom a bit later in the spring, but tend to keep blooming all summer. As Psilo says, maybe you have two varieties. I've had blooms on my flabellatas that are very tiny.
One of my columbines is blooming for the second time with seedpods still on the plant from the first blooming. The blooms are smaller this time but it's a great second effort.
Very pretty Mary do you know what type it is?
MaryE: All those seed pods make my fingers itch! I'm a seed addict!
Variety unknown. The center is pale yellow. I'll try to see if I can find a better picture. Anybody need a few seeds for a few of a differnet color or SASE? I also have purple and white. And somebody gave me blue but I haven't grown that one yet so it would be an adventure.
I have lots of Columbine seed, Mary. Just email me if you want some.... WZ
Ohhh, thank you Weez, I'll do that.