Exposure Partial shade - full sun is tolerated where summers are cool
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Aquilegia formosa. This native of the west coast and Rocky Mountains can be spotted in moist woodlands from Alaska down to California. Its distinctive red flowers dance and wobble in the slightest breeze. Red Columbine is a hardy perennial in Zones 3 to 9, and it thrives in partial shade. It can be grown in full sun, but it would benefit from even more soil moisture. Its wonderful flowers appear mid-spring to early summer, with spurs at the back that are generous with nectar, luring hummingbirds, butterflies, and long tongued bees. The flowers are followed by decorative seed pods that dry and begin to shed their contents in late summer.
Perennial
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Latin
Latin
Aquilegia vulgaris
Family: Ranunculaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Easy
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Exposure: Partial shade – full sun is tolerated where summers are cool
Zone: Hardy to Zone 3
Timing
Timing
Direct sow in autumn or mid-winter. Seeds can be started indoors, but it’s more complicated: Sow seeds in flats of moistened, sterilized seed starting mix, and place these inside plastic bags in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Then sink the flats outdoors in the ground in a shady spot, and cover with glass. As seedlings appear, transplant them or pot them on. Germination takes 30-90 days.
Starting
Starting
Sow on the soil surface and transplant or thin seedlings to 30-50cm (12-20″) apart.
Growing
Growing
Seedlings are easy to move, but delicate. Keep them out of strong sunlight, and water frequently, but gently. Deadhead regularly to prolong the blooming period. Columbine’s flowers are followed by distinctive seed pods that open on their own when the seeds are ripe. These can be removed to prevent self sowing, or for very easy harvest of the seeds. We like to harvest Columbine seeds mid-summer and spread them in any shady spot that could use some colour. Grow Columbine in humus-rich, moist, but well-drained soil.
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For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
We’re a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
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Direct sow in autumn or mid-winter. Seeds can be started indoors, but it’s more complicated: Sow seeds in flats of moistened, sterilized seed starting mix, and place these inside plastic bags in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Then sink the flats outdoors in the ground in a shady spot, and cover with glass. As seedlings appear, transplant them or pot them on. Germination takes 30-90 days.
Sow on the soil surface and transplant or thin seedlings to 30-50cm (12-20″) apart.
Seedlings are easy to move, but delicate. Keep them out of strong sunlight, and water frequently, but gently. Deadhead regularly to prolong the blooming period. Columbine’s flowers are followed by distinctive seed pods that open on their own when the seeds are ripe. These can be removed to prevent self sowing, or for very easy harvest of the seeds. We like to harvest Columbine seeds mid-summer and spread them in any shady spot that could use some colour. Grow Columbine in humus-rich, moist, but well-drained soil.
