Melinda Myers

Columbine

Botanical Name

Aquilegia

Hardiness

Zones 3 to 9

Height

1 to 3 feet

Width

4 to 18 inches

Flowers

Late spring to early summer: yellow, red, pink, blue, purple, white

Light

Full sun to part shade

Soil

Moist, well-drained

Planting & Care

• Space plants 12 inches apart
• Deadhead to prolong bloom and to prevent reseeding
• Cut back after bloom or mask declining foliage
• Divide in late summer

Problems

Leaf miner is common but non life threatening, columbine sawfly, columbine stalk borer

Varieties

• Biedermeier - 12", short spurs
• McKana Series - popular, 30, vigorous but often short lived
• Songbird - vibrant flower colors, 24"
• Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nora Barlow' - pink and red, double pompom flowers