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Guide to Growing Columbines in the Garden

Aquilegia

The Columbine is a wildflower that deserves a home in your garden!
This perennial wildflower is a native to most temperate areas of the world.The flowers range from 1"-3", and come in hybrid colors ranging from black to white, with every color of the rainbow between. The foliage is light and delicate. Columbines prefer light shade and moist soil, but they can tolerate full sun, provided they receive sufficient moisture.
Columbines are hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3-9

Columbine

The Columbine (Aquilegia) is an easy plant to grow because it adapts itself to a wide variety of conditions. Columbines do best however, when they are grown in moist, rich, well drained soil in light shade. These one to three foot high plants generally begin blooming in early to mid-May and will often continue through June if the flowers are removed as they fade.
Columbines are a favorite flower for hummingbirds, and are excellent additions to the rock garden, or as a native woodland planting. They tend to cross-pollinate, hybridize, and self seed freely, creating new strains and colors. However, the formation of seeds will shorten the productive lifespan of the plant, so it is best to remove the spent flowers promptly. Columbines tend to lose vitality after 3-4 years and are best replaced at that time.

Plants should be set out the garden in spring or late summer. Plant them one to two feet apart with the crown (where the roots and tops meet) at soil level. Once established, feed them monthly with a soluble all purpose (5-10-5) fertilizer and keep them well watered during growing season. In colder regions (Zones 4-5), it is a good idea to provide a good mulch of hay, straw, etc. in late fall to protect from alternating freezing and thawing temperatures.
Seed may be sown directly in the garden in early spring or up until mid summer. The seeds should be left uncovered, because they germinate faster in light. These seeds will produce flowering size plants the following spring.
If you are starting your Columbine seeds indoors, they will need to be sown into their pots or flats, and then chilled in the refrigerator for 1-3 weeks before moving them to 70-75 degrees, where they will germinate.

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