Description
Aquilegia hybrid | Columbine ‘Early Girl Blue & Purple’
Columbine, also known as ‘Granny’s Bonnet’ is an all time favorite garden and wildflower that can be found growing in woodlands and meadows. They are a hardy, herbaceous, short-lived perennial that’s easy to grow from seed and will tolerate a large range of soil and sun types, so will do well in full sun although they flower better with shade. The plants are early blooming, free flowering, well branched, drought tolerant and tough as nails. (Some columbines go dormant in the summer and will grow foliage again in the fall.) The petals of Columbine flowers are spurred, which is the major characteristic that sets them apart from other flowers, while the leaves are generally clover-like in shape.
‘Early Girl Blue & Purple’ Columbine is a newer, diminutive hybrid type that’s earlier to flower. Cheerful two-toned flowers are purple with blue centers. The blooms occur on short stems just above the low mounding foliage. Extremely floriferous.
Seeds should sprout with heat, humidity, and light. If they don’t they may require a period of cold-stratification before sowing. Seeds can also be direct-sown outdoors autumn through mid-winter. Flowering plants will gladly self sow in soil or gravel, under decks, etc.
Hummingbirds and bumblebees love them!
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Part shade to full sun
Mature height: 9-11 inches
Mature width: 8-10 inches
Hardiness zones: 3- 9
