Perennial
Common columbine
Aquilegia vulgaris
A hardy, often short-lived perennial with divided leaves and nodding, spurred flowers, usually blue-violet in the wild form. It suits informal borders and woodland edges and may renew itself by self-seeding.
- Size
- 0.5–1 m high · 0.1–0.5 m wide
- Light
- Full sun / Partial shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Winter
- Very hardy
- Seasonal form
- Dies back
- Maintenance
- Low
Before planting
- Allow about 0.5–1 m in height when flowering and 0.1–0.5 m in width. These are species-level garden dimensions, not a promise for every cultivar.
- Choose sun or partial shade and fertile, moderately moist, well-drained soil. It tolerates a broad pH range; avoid waterlogging and prolonged dryness.
- This is a hardy perennial, but individual plants can be short-lived. Leave space for seedlings if you want a naturally renewing planting.
Why choose it
- Nodding flowers with curved spurs appear in late spring and early summer. The wild form is usually blue-violet; garden forms may differ.
- Divided leaves and slender flower stems give informal borders and woodland edges a light texture. Bees visit the flowers.
Care
- Water new plants as their root zones dry. Established plants usually need little extra water; give a soak during prolonged drought or after cutting back if soil is dry.
- Remove spent flower stems before seeds ripen to limit seedlings. Leave some pods for self-seeding; cross-pollinated offspring may differ from their parents.
- In cool, damp weather, watch for angular yellow leaf patches and purple stem marks. If downy mildew is confirmed, remove affected plants and do not compost them.
Good to know
- Do not eat any part of the plant, especially the seeds. Ingestion may cause stomach or intestinal irritation; keep children and pets from chewing it.
- Flowering stems die back for winter; a small basal leaf rosette may persist in mild conditions. Garden seedlings can differ from their parents.