Growing Columbine Plants (Aquilegia)

Aquilegia alpina

Alpine Columbine

A lovely compact but graceful wild Columbine with blue-purple, white or pink flowers, Aquilegia alpina is great for semi-shaded rock gardens.

Height is about 45cm (18").

Aquilegia atrata

Red Columbine

This is a striking deep red wild columbine, which thrives in light shade. Use for rock gardens and to add depth to meadows.

Aquilegia atrata grows to about 30-60 cm (12" - 18").

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow'

Black Columbine

Aquiegia 'Black Barlow' is a wonderful dark purple Columbine. Flowers are nodding, double and spurless. Plant it against a lighter background for contrast. For example a golden green grass, such as Carex elata 'Aurea'. Or, add more in the form of black daylilies or late black tulips, for example.

Height is 90cm (3ft).

Clementine Series Columbine

Aquilegia 'Clementine Red'

Darkish red with yellow centers.

Height is only about 50cm (20") so it'll go well with any late flowering red tulips, such as Tulip sprengeri, a crimson species tulip.

Aquilegia 'Clementine Salmon'

Salmon Columbine

A lovely salmon aquilegia with double clematis-like flowers, which fade as they open. It's quite short at 45cm (18").

Aquilegia 'Clementine White'

A useful green-tipped white Columbine with double flowers and a free-flowering habit.

This is a compact Columbine only 50cm tall.

Aquilegia 'Dove'

Songbird Series White Aquilegia

A compact white Songbird Columbine with yellow stamens. Height is 60cm (2').

A. 'Dove' is an RHS AGM winner.

Aquilegia 'Blue Bird'

Songbird Series Columbine

Aquilegia 'Blue Bird' has large flowers with pale blue spurred outer peals, white inner petals with blue-smudged centers and yellow stamens. Very cottage garden.

Aquilegia 'Green Apples'

Pale Green Clematis-flowered Columbine

One of the prettiest of the so-called Clematis-flowered Aquilegias, 'Green Apples' has double and semi-double flowers in delicate shades of green from June to August at least.

Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow'

While Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow' lacks the long sleek flower spurs of many other aquilegia, it makes up for this with fluffy rounded flowers packed with petals in pastel shades of pink white and green. It probably won't come true from seed, but you'll get some interesting seedlings.

This is a tall Aquilegia at 90cm (3').

Aquilegia 'Purple Barlow'

Purple Granny's Bonnet

Purple version of Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow' with yellow centers.

Aquilegia 'Purple Emperor'

Purple Columbine

Simple single spurless purple Aquilegia with bright green foliage.

Aquilegia chrysantha

Aquilegia chrysantha 'Yellow Queen'

This is a lovely fragrant long-spurred yellow Columbine from Mexico. Like its parent, Aquilegia chrysantha it is great in a mixed meadow.

Try it with a May-flowering Daylily (Hemerocallis), such as Hemerocallis Flava, a yellow species variety, which also has a wild grace and simplicity, but contrasting strappy foliage. It will also tolerate a bit of shade.

Aquilegia 'Yellow Queen' grows to 90cm (3').

Aquilegia 'Pink Barlow'

Pink Columbine

Lovely double pink Columbine with touches of violet and yellow.

Spring Bulb Cover Up

Flower Meadows and Columbines

Columbines are made for meadows, adding height, color and structure. What's more they'll tolerate quite a bit of shade. Here Aquilegia chrysantha is planted in a shady meadow-type border with daisies, geraniums, cornflowers, ferns and grasses.

Columbines in Woodland