Columbine – Aquilegia spp.

Common Name: Columbine

Botanical Name: Aquilegia spp., a-kwi-LEE-gee-a

Decorative Life: 3-7 days.

Flower Color: Blue, Pink, Purple, White, Yellow

Availability: Spring, Summer

Harvest when flowers are about 50% open.

• Member of the Ranunculaceae (buttercup) family.
• Most cultivars grown are hybrids of North American species.
• Common relatives include monkshood, larkspur, anemone and Nigella.

• Flowers are up to 3 inches long with inflated petals and elongated spurs, at stem ends.
• Stems leafy, delicate and branched, up to 20 inches long.
• Plant is a herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
• Flowers are not fragrant.

36-41 F for a short time in water.

• From the Latin “aquila” (eagle), referring to the resemblance of the petals to the claws of a bird of prey. Alternatively, from “aquilegus” (a water collector), referring to the petals’ resemblance to common pointed water jugs that were buried in the ground to keep the contents cool.
• Columbine is from the Latin “columba” (dove), referring to the resemblance of the upside down flower to a ring of drinking doves.
• Grows naturally in a wide range of climates including on rocky cliffs under very dry conditions.

White (1988) tested 17 cultivars and species of which 5 were not suited as cut flowers (‘Olympia Violet-Gold’, ‘Libelle’, ‘Sky Blue’ A. skinneri and A. heienae) while 7 were very good to excellent (‘McKana’s Giant’, ‘Crimson Star’, ‘Silver Queen’, ‘Olympia Red-Gold’, Olympia ‘Blue-White’, ‘Long-spurred Red’ and ‘Dynasty’).