Tag Archive for: Aquilegia coerulea

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.

 

 

Clematis colombiana var. tenuiloba

When hiking on the nearby trails doesn’t suffice anymore, we usually set out toward a mountain area to immerse in the richness of alpine landscapes. Two years ago at the end of July, we travelled to Snowbird, situated in the heart of scenic Wasatch Mountains, Utah. Although better known as a ski resort, during the summer, Snowbird offers an easy and comfortable access to some of the floristic gems of the Utah Rockies.

Snowbird in the Wasatch Mts.

Snowbird in the Wasatch Mts.

Wasatch Mountains stretch for nearly 200 miles from the Wellsville Mountains on the north, to the Mount Nebo on the south. Elevations range between 4,200 and 11,957 feet (at Mount Timpanogos). Along with jewel-like lakes there are pockets of lush green mountain meadows and areas of alpine tundra. Climate and microclimate differences produce a broad seasonal flowering spread. The basic rock types are made up principally of limestone and dolomite rocks. Soils of widely varying chemical composition are found throughout the area, thus providing a suitable environment for plants that require either acid soil or lime. These diverse habitat conditions make Wasatch Mountains a hotspot for plant endemism. One place where you can spend the whole day, just basking in the sun and admiring wildflowers is the Albion Basin. It is located at the top of glacially carved Little Cottonwood Canyon, above the ski resorts of Alta and Snowbird at over 9,500 feet. During the summer months of July-August there is a spectacular wildflower display in the high-elevation meadows with natural gardens of paintbrush, columbine, lupine, Jacob’s ladder, penstemons, and many more. This is where the Wasatch Wildflower Festival is held every year.

 A very interesting plant that I saw for the first time was Pedicularis groenlandicaElephant’s head (Orobanchaceae), which grows along streams and boggy mountain meadows, forming sometimes large colonies. It has fern-like leaves, mostly basal and dark green stems of about 1 foot high with flowers that look exactly like little magenta-pink elephant heads. Plants blooming for many weeks offer an image that is hard to forget. This beautiful plant is parasitic on the roots of the plants that grow in its vicinity, from which it extracts the nutrients it needs. Because of the parasitic life cycle, it would be probably very difficult to cultivate.

Another first was Aquilegia coeruleaColorado Blue columbine. It is a columbine with very long spurs and large flowers that can vary in colour from light blue to white (4 varieties in Flora of North America). Usually it grows close to wet stream areas in part-shade, but also can be found on rocky outcrops in full sun. The population we found had almost entirely white flowers. Taking the trail to Cecret Lake and then towards Germania Pass you’ll find a fabulous rocky area hosting Penstemon humilisLow penstemon (Plantaginaceae). It grows in many-stemmed clumps 4 to 12 ft. tall. The flowers are about 1.5 inches long, colored in every shade of blue from lavender to light sky blue and even magenta. Considering that there are more than 60 species of Penstemon in Utah, I have to mention at least a local endemism, the Wasatch PenstemonPenstemon cyananthus, which is common in the area, growing on dry, gravelly hillsides. Each plant produces several 2 to 3 ft. tall stems of magnificent blue flowers. You can definitely get your fix if you have agentian blue craving! We even found two very localized forms with white and pink flowers. Another day, on a hike to the Flagstaff Peak, we lost the trail that starts from the Alta Lodge, but were rewarded to find at the top of the ridge clumps of Clematis columbiana var. tenuiloba – Rock Clematis (Ranunculaceae). This is a rhizomatous clematis with aerial stems that are not viny, usually up to 10 cm tall and tufted. Leaves are typically 3-lobed and the flowers are deep pink to violet. It grows on cliffs and rocky summits, usually in open sites. It is a prized rock garden clematis, hard to find to buy, so this year I’m trying my own seeds (hope they’ll come true!).