Aquilegia, Hybrid Columbine, Songbird Columbine 'Bunting'

Columbines are easy, adaptable, short-lived perennials, promiscuous hybridizers and self-sowers. The Songbird series gets highest praise ...Read Morefrom connoisseurs, with large, long-spurred, upward facing flowers.

'Bunting' has been given the Royal Horticultural Society's coveted Award of Garden Merit, one of four of the Songbird series to have done so.

According to Robert Nold, the Songbird series was created by the late Charles L. Weddle, Jr., of Paonia, CO, by crossing A. coerulea with the McCana's Giant strain and the Dwarf Fairyland series. According to Graham Rice, he also used A. canadensis, A. skinneri, A. californica and A. chrysantha, and perhaps A. longissima.

When he died in 1986 his stocks were bought by PanAmerican Seed, refined and upgraded, and re-introduced in the late 1980s. The series has since been expanded and quietly upgraded over the years under the guidance of breeder Dr Ellen Leue.

'Bunting' is blue-violet and white, and grows up to 18' tall and 12" wide. Like the other Songbird cultivars, it's an F1 hybrid and will not come true from seed.

Foliage color is green to blue-green, not chartreuse or yellow.

Columbines have deep taproots. Mature plants are very difficult to transplant or divide, and neither is generally recommended.

Columbines prefer slightly alkaline soils, and are especially short-lived where soils are very acid unless lime is added.

Deadheading is also essential for longer garden life.

The cultivar name is 'Bunting'. "Songbird" is the name of the series and not part of the cultivar name.

My Songbird Bunting Columbine is planted on the west side of my house where it gets full afternoon sun. I was concerned that it wouldn't...Read More grow well in those conditions. Considering that it's only been planted for one year it seems to be doing very well.

I have it planted on the NE side of my house. It is full of blooms and has doubled itself within a year.