A Good Year for Aquilegia!

Aquilegia (columbine) love our moist, cool summers, and this summer has been cooler than most, seldom getting above 60F. While many of my plants would prefer more warmth and sun, the aquilegia are thriving. I have so many lovely plants grown from seeds I've traded or purchased, that I thought I'd post some photos. The first is my oldest... a pink and white McKana's Giant. The plant grows to about 4' when in bloom. I stake it, but this year, it was so heavy with blooms, it hung from its stake with huge clusters of flowers.

The second is a pink clematis form. the blooms are single, but spurless. Once in awhile, one will appear with a short spur or two, but not often. The blooms are profuse, and down-tipped, resembling a clematis bloom. This one is a rose pink with a purple tinge to the backside of the sepals. The seeds were received from a DG member named Psilo from England who grew many lovely aquilegia and generously shared the seeds.

Next is our local wild columbine, Aquilegia formosa. It is a tall plant with small star shaped blooms of red and yellow. They grow all along the roadsides and the edges of wooded areas. I have several in my yard.

I have tried them and one time put them at the top of the shady side of my rock garden. I couldn't believe how it seeded all over the rock garden and became very invasive.
I would really like to have some of these, but not sure what to do about the problem I had. Are there perennial ones?

As far as I know, aquilegia are all perennial, but are said to be short-lived. This is not true here in Southcentral Alaska, so I think the heat of summer may take its tole in warmer climes. I have columbine that are at least 10 years old. Aquilegia stay green all summer. The dwarf varieties seem to bloom earlier, but the blooms don't stay as long.

This is Aquilegia canadensis. It has shorter spurs than A. formosa, but the color is much the same. It is the more common wild columbine of Canada and the northeastern US. I think there is even a form of canadensis in Texas.

Aquilegia are avid self seeders and they cross pollinate readily. This lovely columbine popped up among my wild ones, but it seems to be a cross with one of my McKana's.

Of the semi-dwarf varieties, I am fond of the Winkys. Here is Winky Rose. This was grown from seed received in a trade, but I can't recall who sent it. It bloomed in the second year after germination. The blooms are up-turned and the plant is about 12-18" tall.

This little purple upturned columbine has been in one of my beds for many years. It seldom gets water, and it lives among the wild plants in a rock garden along my west driveway. I think it is an Aquilegia sibirica 'Biedermeier'. I started growing those from seeds I purchased from Ed Hume seed company.

I believe this one is Aquilegia alpina. It is not a very tall plant.. about 12-18". The blooms are a deep, deep purple and short-spurred. The seeds were acquired in a trade. I can't recall who sent them.

The next two columbine are located down the road at Camelot Cottages. The owner has cabins for rent to tourists, so she likes to have lots of flowers each summer. This year, two of the columbine I planted down there are in bloom. They are both spectacular. She has been giving them lots of fertilizer, and they seem to like it. I have no idea which types they are, since she doesn't save the tags. This one is a lovely cream & lavender with a touch of pink on the spurs.

The next is bright yellow and soft peach pink. Both plants are going to be 24-36" tall, it seems. They were full of blooms.

Here is Aquilegia caerulea, or Rocky Mountain Columbine. I know I received these seeds in trade, but, again, I can't recall who sent them. This is the first year the plants have bloomed, and I'm very pleased with them. The plants will grow to about 24", and the flowers are blue and white. A few have come out yellow with a hint of blue, so there may have been a bit of cross-pollination going on somewhere along the line!

Here is another clematis type columbine. It is a very intense blue-purple, single petaled, and the bloom is quite large. I believe it is from a mix of A. clematiflora that I received from Psilo in England.

This beauty resides in one of my new rock beds. I grew it from seeds I received from Bootandall in New Zealand. He had labeled it Species #10. The blooms are a lovely intense blue and white, large, and long spurred.

Here is another aquilegia grown from Bootandall seeds. This one is a beautiful hot pink with cream colored petals. The seeds were labeled Species #1. It's a lovely short-spur variety.

Boots listed this one as Species 6. It's lavender and yellow with long spurs.

This one is deep purple blue with a slight rim of white to the petals, and short-spurred. Boots listed it as Species #5.

Here's a small blue one with a white edging. Boots listed it as Secies #3. It is short spurred.

The next is one of the Barlow types. There is a series of double clematis types, but this one came from Arsenic, I believe, and was listed 'Double Sky Blue'. Of several plants, some are this lovely dusky sky blue, and some are much lighter.

Here is a lovely double clematis or Barlow type called 'Ruby Port'. I believe I purchased the seed from T&M or one of the other seed catalogs.

Of course, there is also Nora Barlow. I had this variety for years, and they are quite hardy.

And then, there is Blue Barlow.

And a Barlow type called Green Apple. It looks more or less the same as White Barlow, but the sepals seem a bit wider and it does have a greenish tinge when it first opens.

And then, there is also Black Barlow. It's so dark, it is hard to photograph in true color and still see the detail.

Then there are the pleated ones. They look like a lady's petticoats. Aquilegia vulgaris var. flore-pleno. Here is a lovely pure pink one.

I may want to correct myself. I think this ruffled variety is commonly considered 'Double'. I think the pleated types are folded in on themselves. In fact, I just photographed this one labeled 'Double Sky Blue'. This must be the one Arsenic sent me, and the other I posted is, no doubt, one from my Barlow mixes. So many columbine, so little memory!

Here is a lovely double purple.

weezingreens, thanks for the tour. they are all so pretty, I couldn't begin to decide which one I like best. you are obviously taking full advantage of your climate :-). lovely.

I planted my first aquilegia last year, half a dozen plants from the 'Songbird' series. The only survivors were 2 of 'Robin'. They still have a couple of blooms on them, but I'm sure the heat here will put an end to it this week. I have fallen in love with them and will be planting more. Just got some 'Nora Barlow' seeds in the mail from a DG friend.

And an eye catching violet & white.

The Songbird series is lovely. I don't know if I can grow them from seed. Some hybrids don't come back true. You'll like the Nora Barlows. The stems are nice and sturdy, so I don't have to stake them.

Another little beauty is 'Magpie', also called 'William Guiness'. The blooms are smaller than some columbine, but they are a deep deep purple with lovely white petals.

Here's one from my Mrs. Scott Elliot mix. They have lovely long spurs. So far, all the colors have been pale... white or this pale yellow blushed with pink.

woodspirit1,
If you deadhead and pick up as soon as the petals drop, you should be able to prevent the seeds from developing to the point that they'll self-sow.

I've been looking for Yellow Swan. Does anyone have this one? I'd love to get seeds for this one. It's suppose to have an extended bloom time.

I just checked Yellow Swan on the Web and couldn't find much info on it. It seems to be a hybrid of Aquilegia caerulea, part of the Swan series, also known as the State series. It sounds like a yellow A. caerulea.

I would love to have any of these seeds!!! Do you have any to spare? I would love to trade for some! PLMK!
Caren

I don't have seeds for 'Yellow Swan', but may have seeds for a yellow A. caerulea this fall when they mature. In the meantime, you might try asking for seeds on the Seed Trade forum.

I do have a thread there but not much responce :o(
They dont have to be for the yellow swan really anything will do. I just wanted a good mix of colors and form. Thank you anyway tho!
Caren

I have lots of seeds for trade or SASE. Click on my name and go to my trade list, then D-mail me.

HI Weez..beautiful photos of your Columbine.
I didn't realize there were so many pretty ones.
I have a white Beirdermeir..and Mckana's purple giant...and a wild one growing out back...and this pretty blue one near the house...not sure of its name.

Cheers,
Carol