Aquilegia canadensis. Red Columbine’s wonderful flowers appear mid-spring to early summer, with spurs at the back that are generous with nectar, luring hummingbirds, butterflies, and long tongued bees. Its distinctive red flowers dance and wobble in the slightest breeze. A hardy perennial in Zones 3 to 9, it thrives in partial shade. It can be grown in full sun, but it would benefit from even more soil moisture. The flowers are followed by decorative seed pods that dry and begin to shed their contents in late summer. Perennial.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow in autumn or mid-winter. Seeds can be started indoors, but it’s more complicated: Sow seeds in flats of moistened, sterilized seed starting mix, and place these inside plastic bags in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks. Then sink the flats outdoors in the ground in a shady spot, and cover with glass. As seedlings appear, transplant them or pot them on. Germination takes 30-90 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow on the soil surface and transplant or thin seedlings to 30-50cm apart.
How To Grow, Growing: Seedlings are easy to move, but delicate. Keep them out of strong sunlight, and water frequently, but gently. Deadhead regularly to prolong the blooming period. Columbine’s flowers are followed by distinctive seed pods that open on their own when the seeds are ripe. These can be removed to prevent self sowing, or for very easy harvest of the seeds. We like to harvest Columbine seeds mid-summer and spread them in any shady spot that could use some colour. Grow Columbine in humus-rich, moist, but well-drained soil.
Approx: 70 Seeds.
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