AQUILEGIA vulgaris

Columbine, Granny's Bonnet

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Type:

Perennial
Height: 1-3' (30-90cm)
Flowering Time: Summer
Flower Colour: White, yellow, orange, red, pink, mauve, blue, purple
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Botanical Classification:

Class:

Angiospermae (Angiosperms)
Subclass: Dicotyledonae (Dicotyledons)
Superorder: Magnoliidae (Magnolia Superorder)
Order: Ranunculales (Buttercup Order)
Family: Ranunculaceae (Buttercup Family)
Genus: Aquilegia (Columbine)
Species: vulgaris (common)
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Aquilegia vulgaris

Aquilegia vulgaris is one of the most widely-grown spring and summer-flowering perennials. The original wild flower comes in shades of blue, purple, pink and white, around 2-3' tall, but hybrids have been bred for garden use, so that now these hardy perennials are available in all sizes from just a few inches to several feet high, in all colours and combinations of colours imaginable, and with different shapes from the original five pointed petals and five curved spurs to multi-layer petticoats, green-tipped petals and double spurless varieties.

Aquilegia vulgaris is fully hardy, not particular as to soil or position, and once established frequently self-sows in a wide range of colours. As plants hybridise readily, seeds from a particular colour flower will probably not produce plants with the same colour flowers.

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Harvesting and Growing from Seed:

Germination:

Spring
Outside (31 days)
Autumn
Outside (124 days)

Seed Pod The seed pod is like three small upright pea pods joined together, opening into a deep
star shape.

Seed The seeds are small, shiny black pips. There are many seeds in a pod.

Seedling The seedleaves are bluish and pointed. The first true leaves are divided into three rounded,
almost frilly, leaflets.

(You can check the meaning of any technical terms new to you in the Botany section of the site)

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