Tag Archive for: Aquilegia canadensis – short form

Every year I sow a few Aquilegia species indoors to give them a bit of extra growth time. New species, some to repeat, there are always plenty of seeds to choose from. It is always good to go back to basics.

1. Aquilegia canadensis – short form: I need a new one; last year I put the spade through it by mistake.

2. Aquilegia fragrans: time to see how a fragrant Aquilegia actually smells (old seeds from a seedex).

3. Aquilegia chaplinei: young plants have been devoured last year by the columbine sawfly, twice! This is a lovely dwarf version of A. chrysantha, with delicate bluish-green foliage and yellow flowers with extremely long spurs. I love long spurred Aquilegias!

4. Aquilegia vitalii: from few remaining old seeds; I have a young plant outdoors but who knows after this harsh winter…..

There are also a few A. scopulorum seedlings; I never seem to have enough plants to be able to offer seeds and it’s a pity (Alien vs. Predators).
Last year I grew A. alpina again and A. olympica so there should be a lot of new blues this summer. Not that I can complain, Aquilegia nigricans does a fine job in this regard.

Note: keep your eyes open for the columbine sawfly (Pristiphora rufipes) in late spring.
Last year I had the unfortunate occasion to discover that the larvae, which look like green caterpillars, can consume the entire foliage of one plant in a blink of an eye!
They are hard to notice being green but not difficult to pick up by hand if noticed on time (spraying with insecticidal soap should also work if necessary).
Also, do not believe there is only one generation/year like they say; it depends on the climate.

In preparation of going away for a little while, I looked around today to see who would remain in charge of the garden and the seedlings…The first ones asked found excuses of being busy flowering, setting seeds, or putting up new growth.

So, I had to appoint by force the lord of the garden – Corydalis nobilis. You will hardly find a more reliable, resilient and fair garden fellow. From its corner location it can easily survey the whole garden, including the youngster Cory (from seed) which is flowering for the first time.

Corydalis nobilis

Corydalis nobilis

I read somewhere (most probably in an AGS Journal) about an old, neglected garden where C. nobilis had taken hold of and was growing everywhere like a weed. It can happen in time; say 30 years from now on.
Sounds like a good plan…

And a few May pictures: new and older plants establishing together, Aquilegia canadensis- short form in the sun-rockery (in the making), and… lots of seedlings :) On the seed adventures at full steam!

A group of plants that I really like and hope to increase my collection, are the columbines: Aquilegia spp., and in particular, of course, the alpine columbines. In contrast with the more regular garden Aquilegia varieties, the alpine ones are short in stature but bearing large flowers. In most cases they have a delightful bluish, compact foliage, which in itself makes a wonderful addition to any small rock garden.

Aquilegia scopulorum x coerulea in the rock garden at Wrightman Alpines

Aquilegia scopulorum x coerulea in the rock garden at Wrightman Alpines

All Aquilegia are important food source plants for bees, bumblebees, hummingbirds and hawk moths. Even just for this reason one should include them in the garden. Interesting fact, biologists found that the length of the nectar spurs in Aquilegia evolved to allow flowers to match the tongue lengths of their pollinators. Species with very long nectar spurs, like A. coerulea are pollinated by hummingbirds and hawk moths, while the short spured species, like A. canadensis are fancied by bees and other short tongue insects.

Aquilegia coerulea (Colorado blue columbine) has flowers with very long nectar spurs that look like space ships or sea creatures, wherever your imagination tends to go, up to the sky or down in the ocean. Very variable in height, anywhere from 15 to 90 cm and in flower colours – from white to pale or dark blue; also there are reports of a variety with spurless flowers!

I am greedy when it comes to columbines. This spring I am looking forward to see flowering (and take more pictures) in my rockery a few alpine columbines I grew from seeds: A. jonesii – the smallest of columbines, A. saximontana and A. discolor (that is if my seedlings survive the record low temperatures we have this winter).

 Also ready to greet the pollinators this year: A. nigricans (Carpathians Mts. collection), A. alpina and A. atrata.

 

I would note that most Aquilegia species are polymorphic and difficult to define adequately. Some of the variability is because of introgressive hybridization (Flora of NA). Even distantly related species of columbines are often freely inter-fertile, hence the multitude of hybrids and cultivated forms available. Also, this poses a problem for seeds collection, especially in the case of cultivated varieties if one requires true to type species.