The plant prefers soil with medium moisture but well-drained.
Columbine is toxic to humans.
Columbine Care
Here are the main care requirements for growing columbine.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Light
It’s recommended to grow columbine inpartial shade.
These plants do not tolerate full, hot sun well.
However, the plants tolerate full sun in cooler climates and during cool spring days.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
Columbine appreciates some shade in summer’s heat after flowering and while re-building their stores of energy.
Soil
Grow columbine plants in well-drained humusy soil with aneutral to slightly acidic pH.
Mix some compost into the soil before planting to provide them with rich organic material.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
They prefer sandy or loamy soil over clay because good drainage is key.
As young plants are becoming established, keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy.
The plants flower best in cooler temperatures but not in excessive heat.
Aquilegia canadensisThe Spruce / Grant Webster
Columbine is sensitive to high temperatures, and cooler weather will produce more flowers.
Hot temperatures will cause the plant to go dormant in the summer.
This plant requires phosphorus for healthy root development.
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Keep in mind thatAquilegiavarieties readily cross-pollinate.
If you plant more than one variety, be prepared to see new colors and combinations.
Propagating Columbine
Columbine can be propagated by division or sowing seeds.
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Columbine can be divided in the spring, once every two or three years.
A divided plant remains vibrant and vigorous for many years.
If you must divide, take these steps.
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How to Grow Columbine From Seed
Propagating from collected seeds is the easiest way to grow columbine.
Fill each container with good quality, well-draining potting soil.
Overwintering
Columbines can withstand cold temperatures.
The Spruce / Evgeniya Vlasova
Flower stalks will regrow next spring, along with any new plants that successfully self-seeded.
it’s possible for you to also handpick leaves at the first sign of mining activity.
Other common pests include columbine sawflies and columbine aphids.Aphids can cause stunted growth while sawflies cause defoliation.
To control aphids and sawflies, spray with ultra-fine horticultural oil or insecticidal soap.
Fungal diseases like gray mold andpowdery mildewcan affect columbine.Remove faded flowers to prevent gray mold from developing.
If symptoms like a fuzzy gray mold or white mildew start forming, apply a fungicide to control it.
How Long Does Columbine Bloom?
Established plants typically bloom for about four weeks, starting in mid-spring through early summer.
What Do Columbine’s Flowers Look and Smell Like?
Columbine flowers are small with buttercup-like blooms sitting inside another layer of petals.
The plants are frequently used in rock and woodland gardens, as well as in cottage gardens.
If you plant columbine in the fall, however, it will bloom the following spring.
Many varieties of columbine won’t bloom at all until their second season.
But the plant won’t have energy left to produce any more flowers for an extended bloom period.
Watch for these signs.
Yellowing Leaves
In areas with hot or dry summers, columbine leaves can turn yellow.
If you keep the soil evenly moist, the plant might sustain itself.
The plant is not dead.
It might not come back until the next spring, but sometimes it can re-emerge in the early fall.
Leaves Turning White
Powdery mildew creates white powdery patches on the leaves.
The fungus spreads through splashing water and travels by wind to infect other plants.
Once established, powdery mildew is difficult to control.
This defoliation is a sign of aslug infestation.
Slugs come out at night.
Put out bait such as a pan of beer or an upside-down melon rind.
The slugs will be attracted to both.
you might also spread diatomaceous earth around the base of the plant.
The slugs will not cross that barrier.
However, they are abundant self-seeders, so you might not even notice when the original plant dies.
Columbine is a perennial flowering plant that is not well-suited for growing indoors and thrives in outdoor soil.
In most cases, columbine grown in containers indoors will provide you with beautiful foliage but no blooms.
Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants.University of California.
Common Columbine Pests: Columbine Leafminer and Columbine Sawfly.Wisconsin Horticulture.
Sawflies.University of Wisconsin Master Gardener.
Columbine (Aquilegia Spp.
)-Powdery Mildew.Pacific Northwest Pest Management Handbooks.
Powdery Mildew.Clemson University Home & Garden Information Center.
