Jesse Saylor
Family
Ranunculaceae
Botanical Name
AQUILEGIA 'Rose Queen'
Plant Common Name
Columbine, Rose Queen Columbine
Special Notice
This entry has yet to be reviewed and approved by L2G editors.
General Description
The blooms of columbine are fanciful and delicate. Aquilegia is a genus of about 70 species that exist across northern temperate zones worldwide. Many are woodland plants and some are alpines. The species vary widely in size, habit and floral attributes.
Columbines are hardy clump-forming perennials that often grow from small slender woody rhizomes (underground lateral stems). The small delicate thin leaves appear in branches of three and often have three scalloped lobes. They appear the spring and form mounded clumps. The foliage may be pale green, grey green or deep green.
The intricate flowers are what make these plants so special. They are held on slender stems of various lengths. The blooms may be pedant, nodding or upward-facing and usually bloom in spring or summer. Flowers may be single or produced in loose clusters. Many have flowers that have prominent hollow nectar-holding spurs that extend backwards. These are commonly flanked by five showy petal-like sepals called tepals. These flowers come in all shades of the rainbow and bicolored blooms are common. Numerous seeds are readily produced in dry upright fruits with a five-parted capsule called a follicle. Small black seeds shake down from these like rain.
Aquilegia species cross easily and create natural hybrids, which is one reason why they have been so heavily hybridized. Interesting species include Aquilegia alpinia, a diminutive native of the Alps with nodding, bright blue flowers, Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) with its tall stems full of blue and white flowers, and the drought tolerant Arizona columbine (Aquilegia desertorum) that has small bright orange and yellow blooms.
Columbines are easy to grow and prefer full sun to partial shade. They grow in many soils but woodland species prefer evenly moist, organic-rich soil with good drainage. The plants readily self-sow so deadhead quickly if you don’t want new plants. Use colorful columbine in beds, rock gardens, containers, cutting gardens, woodlands and to attract hummingbirds. They are also food plants for many species of butterflies and moths.
Characteristics
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Plant Type
Perennial
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Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
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Bloom Time
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
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Native To
North America, Europe, Russia/Siberia, Asia
Ornamental Features
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Flower Interest
Showy
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Foliage Color (Spring)
Green, Light Green, Sea Green, Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Summer)
Green, Light Green, Sea Green, Gray Green
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Foliage Color (Fall)
Green, Light Green, Sea Green, Gray Green, Yellow Green
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Fragrant Flowers
No
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Fragrant Fruit
No
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Fragrant Foliage
No
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Bark or Stem Fragrant
No
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Flower Petal Number
Single
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Repeat Bloomer
No
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Showy Fruit
No
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Edible Fruit
No
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Showy Foliage
No
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Foliage Texture
Medium
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Evergreen
No
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Showy Bark
No
Special Characteristics
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Usage
Alpine, Bedding Plant, Container, Cutflower, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Wildflower
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Sharp or Has Thorns
No
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Attracts
Hummingbirds
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Self-Sowing
Yes
