My heat tolerant yellow columbine. A rarity?

I have this one yellow columbine (variety unknown, it came from a seed pack of "mixed color" columbines) that is still in bloom and still has young buds to bloom. Some of those that attended the roundup at my place in May seemed surprised to see columbines growing in as much sun as I was giving them, but the columbines, including the red/yellow native A. canadensis, all did well for me.

I happened to see a post somewhere else on DG were someone suggested (somewhat jokingly) that anyone that could come up with a heat tolerant columbine should patent the seed. Is it unusual to have columbines blooming for July 4? This one just keeps hanging in there! Though with all the rain lately, it might be better identified as a water tolerant columbine.

Jeremy

Seriously, Jeremy, I gave up on columbines this year. To date, I've planted several every year in mostly shade and by mid-summer, they were fried to nothing and I never got any of them back. So I was quite surprised to see your gorgeous columbines at all -- let alone that lush and happy. And seeing as how I haven't seen any around Tallahassee all summer... I'm going to go way out on a skinny limb here and suggest that, yes, it's unusual to see columbines blooming at July 4. (But is your corn knee-high, this former Ohioan wants to know? ;>) )

If you manage to save some seeds from that puppy, I'd be interested in trading for a few... I've some some nice Rue seeds that are getting ripe. I just found out that Rue provides an excellent defense against witches... if you've got that kind of problem in your neighborhood. ;>)

Wow...Nice!!! I think you can get to grow them upstate........but here in central florida it would be nearly impossible.

Good growing!!
Ric

I'm not sure why I had such luck with Columbines, but all the varieties I planted did flourish for me, including the Alpine Blue, which were my favorites among the several colors and varieties I have. It may be some specific combination of soil, air, light, and karma, or other cosmic influences. I am quite happy that they like it at my place. The A. canadensis by the front walk got so huge that they were about to dwarf the azaleas and were hanging out over the walk, so I gathered them all from their various spots around the yard and moved them all to their own spot over by the dead piano sculptures. They survived the transplant with barely a wilted leaf. They won't get as much light over there, so it will be interesting to see if they continue with their gargantuan growth.

As for witches, being a UU, I have too many close associations and friendships with wiitch/wiccan/pagan types to want to be rid of them. They are allowed to cavort in the church basement once a month or so. I agree with the maxim that the only bad witch is one that can't work her spell properly!

But I would like some rue anyway. My garden won't be complete until I have one of everything that can possibly grow in my climate.

Jeremy

Beautiful flowers Jeremy.

LOL Dogzilla!

Columbine in Florida...north Florida...but in Florida! cool...Here in Central Florida, we're on Olde Tampa Bay...not as much success...thanks for the Florida Foto!

Sue

I posted my columbine photo in the Perennial Forum with my question about whether it is unusual to have a columbine celebrating July 4. The DG folks over there have commented that the yellow columbines mostly come from Texas, which might help explain the heat tolerance of this one. They also suggested the variety might be 'Crysantha.'

This yellow one is, by the way, one of my columbines that is in nearly full sun in the backyard along the path of "Dogzilla Way" (named in honor of the donor of the dwarf Mondo grass that will help fill in the cracks of the tons of sidewalk concrete chunks I've carried in and laid out in a straight line to make a garden path).

I will be doting over the seed produced by this yellow columbine and will be glad to share with other Floridians to see if we can rival Texas for producing heat tolerant yellow columbines.

The only tip I had from a garden "expert" friend that owns a landscaping business was to plant columbine seeds in September. That tip seemed to work for me!

Jeremy

Jeremy,

Columbines were and still are on the top of my favorite list. I did try them here a bit south of you, and no luck, but I will give it a go again in September.........not giving up, yet!

Gracie

I will be doing a painting of A. canadensis soon. A commission from my landscaper friend that provided me my first columbine (the mother of all my other A. canadensis). He has been waiting, patiently, I hope, for about 2 years for me to get around to doing his painting, which is the typical experience for anyone that asks/pays me in advance to crank out a painting of a certain subject matter for them. Some close, relatively wealthy, friends generously provided $1500 to help me get a vehicle a few years ago when my old Ford Aerostar van suddenly had the transmission go kaput. I would do a painting for them in exchange for the commission of $1500. We discussed the painting they wanted several times. I even got swatches of their upholstery fabric and wall paper whose colors they wanted me to incorporate into the painting. They must have discussed their long wait for a painting with another of my friends whom was more familiar with my procrastinating ways. That friend probably told them the only way to get anything out of me was to set a definite deadline/date certain for delivery. My $1500 commission friends apparently took the advice and called last Summer to say, "We're having a wedding reception for friends at our house in two weeks. We want the painting hung in our living room by then." I got to work and made it happen, but was not happy with the results. They wanted a path leading off to an uncertain destination (an allegory for our individual spiritual journies through life), but they chose a bridle path (horse riding type, not wedding type) photo from a post card they picked up on a trip to Maine as the subject for the painting. I struggled to find some resonance in my soul, but, alas, having grown up in a mostly Autumn-less environment in NE Florida, discovered I was bereft of interpersonal relationships with orange and yellow leaves and Aspen trees. The resulting painting, delivered with the paint still oozing due to working on it up until the absolute last minute before I had to load it and deliver it, was not satisfactory to me. I got the painting back from them after the wedding reception in order to rework it. That was about a year ago, so patiently (maybe) they wait once again until I can tear myself away from delighting in my columbines and other wonders in my garden long enough to settle down to paint.

(Sorry for this far-fetched digression from columbines. I am apparently in a mood to write today.) And Sugarweed will now chime in, "So, what else is new!" She says everytime she sees a DG post longer than 3 paragraphs, she knows it must be from me.

Jeremy

I have a Black Barlow columbine growing in my garden and doing well so far.

Jeremy,

You make me chuckle this early Saturday morning. Heehee. I shall remember your honest advice about your paintings.

Now about the columbines. I certainly don't do well germinating columbine seeds but am still learning much about that are, with a few successes with the "simple" ones. I would like to try some of your "Yellows" when you get some seeds, if you have some to spare.

I have 3 or 4 columbine species, one of which is a "Rue".
I bought them as plants and through the winter 2 of my Christa Barlows flourished and bloomed. The Rue bloomed this spring and I also have a small "Texas Yellow" and it bloomed as well.

I have been scrambling around buying little trees in pots to place strategically around these columbines since with the onset of summer, they are no longer shaded by the wooden fence. Your black bamboo is lending some assistance in this matter, thank you very much!!

I would like to try to grow some from seed tho.

Thanks,
Molly
:^)))

WOW - those are great pics of columbine - I've never had any luck with keeping them for any length of time. Guess the key is to grow from seeds.

Also those of you that have Rue - I have my find it hard to keep thru the summer months, even in deep shade. I just luv this plant as it is a host plant for Giant Swallowtails. Mine is starting to look weak and I'm worried I'm going to loose it.

Molly, my experience with all the columbines is that they can take more sun than you might imagine. I had enough A. canadensis that grew from seeds from my sole "mother" plant that I was able to spread them around to areas of deep shade to full sun and ranges in between the extremes. Those getting the most sun grew tallest and flowered the most! I still have lots of seeds of A. canadensis and will bring packets to give away at the Lake City round up, or can mail you a packet if you send me an E-mail. Since the round up is currently scheduled for some time in October, I can start germinate some seedlings in September (since I appear to be the "Johnny Appleseed" of columbines in Florida) and bring them along to the round up if they are as happy to germinate for me as they have been before. The A. canadensis in the deepest shade over by my old fish pond grew and bloomed, but not with the robust vigor of those in sun.

The blue alpine columbine was in fairly deep shade and did well there. I'm kicking myself for never getting a pix of it because it was spectacular and my favorite of all the colors I had, but the plant is doing well and there are lots of seeds I can get from it if they haven't all been thrown out of the seed pods by the recent wind and rain.

Thanks for all your comments and photos. Igottahave some of that Black Barlow, Rycliff!!

Jeremy

There was a gardening show on hgtv this am and they showed a golden columbine growing in the desert.
Jan...

Wow! That is amazing budgie. I think the columbines may have been underestimated in thinking they are happy as shade plants neatly tucked away in protected spots in rock gardens (which was my impression of them prior to growing them. Time to bring 'em out into the sun and let them shine, I think!

I have some seeds around here somewhere I may go ahead and try.
Jan....

Jax, I got seeds.

Spread those seeds around, folks! Saw that hgtv show, Jan, and I immediately thought of this columbine thread...That 'Gardener Guy' had it timed just right!

I only caught the end bit of it but thought about this thread immediately too.
Jan...

Jeremy,
Here's the excerpt from the show. It briefly mentions the golden columbine.

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/gl_seasonal_zones/article/0,1785,HGTV_3631_3156882,00.html

and a link to golden columbine in the PF

http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/60182/index.html
Jan...

This message was edited Jul 2, 2005 8:56 PM

This is my Golden Columbine 'Denver Gold'. These blooms are small, maybe 1/2 or less than 1/2 the size of Jeremy's.

Sorry, after many attempts this was the best picture I could take and it is not in bloom right now. It bloomed right after I got it in late April.

Molly
:^)))

oooh and I just now thought! I could kick myself, I never took any seeds from this!

Well, I could hope they fell off and will reseed themselves.

:^)))

If my columbine seeds haven't already sprouted in the seed pods from all this rain (or built and ark for themselves and their families!), I should be able to come up with some of just about every color. I moved them around and grouped them by color about a month ago.

I'm not sure how the "round robin" trading works, but it sounds like we may be able to pass around our columbine seeds to each other. I still have lots of the A. canadensis and will probably be able to harvest an ample supply from the other colors.

Thanks for the links to the HGTV synopsis and the PF page. Some of my columbines had those nice, long "spurs" like those of the Golden Columbine. I'll have to see if my yellow one has them.

Jeremy

This message was edited Jul 2, 2005 11:21 PM

Jeremy --

Could I sneak in some other little seeds (since I have no columbine to offer) and have the robin fly my way? hehe

Sue

Sure thing, sooz. I got about 1/2 cup of the A. canadensis seeds off my plants, and that was being sort of lazy about gathering them on a regular basis.

It has FINALLY stopped raining, so I will be able to get outside for the next few hours before it gets dark and gather seeds from the other colors, if there are any still hanging in there after all the soakings.

Jeremy