Why we love this flower:
- Uses: Cut Flower, seed pods for dried arrangements
- Container forcing: Easy
What does "F1" mean? F1 hybrid seeds refers to the selective breeding of a plant by cross pollinating two different parent plants, indicating a newer variety into the flower garden world.
Aquilegia, commonly referred to as Columbine, are an easy to grow, spring flowering perennial with delicate, nodding flowers. They require very little attention and are not fussy about their growing conditions. Aquilegia have attractive leaves at the base of the plant, with a long stem supporting delicate flowers. This lovely plant is a beautiful addition to pollinator gardens, wildflower meadows, and shade gardens.
Aquilegia has a very high bud count for more flowers per plant, and will self seed. If you do not want them popping up where they are not wanted, it's best to remove the seed heads. Remove flowering stems after bloom to encourage additional bloom. Although the foliage on Aquilegia fades and dies back, they are not a true herbaceous perennial, as they do not die back completely to bare earth in the winter.
After flowering, the foliage becomes pale and is best cut off and the plant will grow fresh foliage in late summer and autumn. One advantage of Aquilegia is they flower reliably year after year. Aquilegia vary in size on average, they grow to around 24" to 27" inches, which suggests when growing Aquilegia they are best placed in the middle of the border in terms of height.
PLANT DETAILS
- Common name: Columbine
- Variety: Swan Series
- Life cycle: Perennial
- Structure: Seed
- Attraction: Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees
- Resistance: Deer, rabbit
- Toxicity: None
CUT FLOWER DETAILS
- Fragrance level: None
- Cut stem length: 20" to 24"
- Bouquet role: Filler
- Vase life: 6 to 8 days
GARDEN DETAILS
- Shipping season: Year round
- Planting season: Spring through Fall
- Direct sow: Yes, late spring or fall; refrigerate for 5 days prior
- Bloom season: Spring to summer
- Sun requirements: Full Sun to partial shade
- Water preference: Average water, drought tolerant
- Zones: 3 - 9
- Plant height: 24" to 36"
