Genus: Aquilegia

Otherwise known as Columbine, this genus of about 70 perennials is known for attractive bell-shaped flowers.

Aquilegia are fully hardy and are happy in a bit of dappled shade. With hundreds of hybrids created, the flowers come in a whole range of colours including blue, purple, red, orange, pink, lilac, white and yellow.

The flowers are incredibly rich in nectar and so will attract any nearby honey bees to your garden. These plants freely self seed so are perfect for a bit of a wild patch – if you want to keep them under control simply collect the seeds.

Members growing plants in this genus

  • RobertR

    Robertr

    joined 9 May, 2007

    9 plants

  • bluebell

    Bluebell

    joined 4 Jul, 2007

    8 plants

  • majeekahead

    Majeekahead

    joined 18 Oct, 2007

    351 plants

  • JenniferSamson

    Jennifersam..

    joined 19 Oct, 2007

    2 plants

  • paikky

    Paikky

    joined 8 Dec, 2007

    11 plants

  • mcatama

    Mcatama

    joined 29 Nov, 2007

    67 plants

  • NancyM

    Nancym

    joined 23 Dec, 2007

    62 plants

  • Chrispook

    Chrispook

    joined 18 May, 2007

    234 plants

  • Buzzbee

    Buzzbee

    joined 23 Dec, 2007

    161 plants

  • Janette

    Janette

    joined 7 Feb, 2008

    64 plants

  • Sid

    Sid

    joined 29 Feb, 2008

    46 plants

  • Xela

    Xela

    joined 1 Mar, 2008

    174 plants

  • Lorri

    Lorri

    joined 21 Mar, 2008

    14 plants

  • Michael1

    Michael1

    joined 17 Apr, 2008

    17 plants

  • Grammazoo

    Grammazoo

    joined 12 Feb, 2008

    114 plants

  • ladybug_17

    Ladybug_17

    joined 30 Apr, 2008

    6 plants

  • treesandthings

    Treesandthi..

    joined 16 Feb, 2008

    154 plants

  • AndrewR

    Andrewr

    joined 7 Aug, 2007

    316 plants

  • spritzhenry

    Spritzhenry

    joined 17 Jun, 2007

    367 plants

Species of Aquilegia

Aquilegia photos

  • Aquilegias enjoying the sun (Aquilegia caerulia)
    By Chrispook
  • Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness' (Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness')
    By AndrewR
  • aquilegia (aquilegia)
    By popeymike
  • White Aquilegia (Aquilegia)
    By spritzhe..
  • Purple Theme (Aquilegia 'McKenna Hybrids')
    By Sid
  • Aquilegia - McKenna's Large Flowered Hybrids  (Aquilegia 'McKenna Hybrids')
    By Sid
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia)
    By spritzhe..
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia)
    By spritzhe..
  • Aquilegia canadensis (Aquilegia canadensis)
    By AndrewR
  • Aquilegia grown from seed last year are just beginning to flower. (Aquilegia caerulia)
    By Chrispook
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia (Columbine))
    By treesand..
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia (Columbine))
    By treesand..
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia (Columbine))
    By treesand..
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia (Columbine))
    By Yellowleaf
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia (Columbine))
    By Yellowleaf
  • A garden flower photo (aquilegia canadensis)
    By Michael1
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine))
    By mcmneil
  • aquilegia (aquilegia)
    By jackie46
  • Aquilegia vulgaris 'Winky Double Blue-White' (Aquilegia vulgaris 'Winky Double Blue-White')
    By Yellowleaf
  • columbine  (aquilegia)
    By NancyM
  • Shade Garden June 2007 (Aquilegia 'McKana's Giant')
    By Jennifer..
  • A garden flower photo (Aquilegia vulgaris)
    By sweetpea
  • Aquilegia (Aquilegia)
    By sodapopklc
  • Aquilegia Columbine - May 2007 (Aquilegia vulgaris)
    By RobertR

more...

Comments:

jacque

Jacque

14 May, 2008

 

This is Great Colour ,

Sid

Sid

14 May, 2008

 

Please feel free to send you rain this way, Sarah. My plants are all thirsty!

jacque

Jacque

14 May, 2008

 

How Perfect & White :D

Sarah65

Sarah65

13 May, 2008

 

Your garden looks gorgeous Sarah, we are having a very rainy day today so it is nice to see all that sunshine.

Sid

Sid

13 May, 2008

 

My parents always say that spring is the yellow time. I guess now is the pinky-purple time?!

jacque

Jacque

13 May, 2008

 

My garden has a Pinky Red Theme goin on @ mo Sarah ?

Chrispook

Chrispook

13 May, 2008

 

My garden seems to go in colour phases too. It's been a lot of blue recently. Some of my big Irises are out and finishing but there's other types coming.

Begoniafan

Begoniafan

12 May, 2008

 

Love the colours.....

MikeC

Mikec

11 May, 2008

 

GREAT pink !

talljim

Talljim

11 May, 2008

 

Very lovely flower.

bonkersbon

Bonkersbon

11 May, 2008

 

Very pretty Sid some can have some loud colour combinations but this more subtle.Jane says what do I know about subtlety!

Gillian

Gillian

11 May, 2008

 

So pretty!

MikeC

Mikec

8 May, 2008

 

Very nice !

Chrispook

Chrispook

8 May, 2008

 

Like the colour Spritz. The one I have is lilac and cream/white.

MikeC

Mikec

5 May, 2008

 

Very nice with the ferns.

Xela

Xela

27 Apr, 2008

 

Some of mine are in bud, but I have just transplanted some of the slower ones to Paul's garden to make room for the others to expand and to bring a cottage garden touch to his border.
With the promised rain this week I am hoping to see some colour in them soon.

Yellowleaf

Yellowleaf

26 Apr, 2008

 

Hi Sid~ Yes it's flowering right now, I actually just got it this week at B&Q

flcrazy

Flcrazy

26 Apr, 2008

 

Really nice close up. I can see the fuzz on the spurs.

NancyM

Nancym

25 Apr, 2008

 

Oh this is a wonderful photo!

Sid

Sid

25 Apr, 2008

 

i love this colouring - I have a couple of purple/yellow by-colours. Is this flowering now, Yellowleaf? If so, must be one of the earliest!

Littledove

Littledove

24 Apr, 2008

 

Oh my gosh! that is the best flower I think I have ever seen & the photography is fab :)

jacque

Jacque

24 Apr, 2008

 

Beautiful :D

jacque

Jacque

24 Apr, 2008

 

Fantastic Colour :D

MikeC

Mikec

14 Apr, 2008

 

This is lovely ! Again, I'm very fond of white flowers.

Sid

Sid

10 Apr, 2008

 

Oh, dear - that does seem more likely, Owdboggy. Fungus gnats - are those the little tiny flies that live on the surface of the compost? I have loads of those :-( Thanks for advice. Sarah.

Owdboggy

Owdboggy

10 Apr, 2008

 

In that case they are the larva of the fungus gnat which is a nuisance in peat based composts. They do eat the roots of seedlings and damage the emerging shoot. There are specific insecticides to deal with them.

Sid

Sid

10 Apr, 2008

 

Hi folks - thanks for all the suggestions. I guess they could be vine weevil grubs, but they are extremely small at the mo - I've got good eye-sight, but even I can hardly see them - I suppose they are about 2mm in length? So too small to fish out and feed to the birdies, Buzzbee!

Lori - not sure my poor Aquilegias will survive 212 degrees for 10 minutes!! ha ha ha....

Bonkers - yes, Aquilegias = Grannies Bonnets!

bonkersbon

Bonkersbon

9 Apr, 2008

 

Nice Lori dread to think whats on the menu for sunday lunch.Isnt Aquilegeia also kown as Grannies Bonnet ? Could be moths.

Buzzbee

Buzzbee

9 Apr, 2008

 

It's certainly possible they are vine weevil grubs - feed the wee so and sos to the birds.

Lori

Lori

9 Apr, 2008

 

Time to cook your compost.... put it in an old roaster and put it in your oven...raise the temp of the compost to 212 degrees for ten minutes. that should kill off anything undesireable that's in the soil.

Muddy_Boots

Muddy_boots

9 Apr, 2008

 

Hi Sid

Sounds just like what I have found in some of my tubs and pots - the dreaded vine weevil! I have just used them on mine as this is the time of the year when the grubs are active.

Are the cresent shaped and about half an inch long? I put it up on my blog a week or so ago.

Hope that helps.

DiOhio

Diohio

27 Mar, 2008

 

I love this type, and the shade of pink. I love any pink I guess.

Lori

Lori

27 Mar, 2008

 

Double Wow. this is amazing. What on earth has it been crossed with?or is this another mutation? Any history on this? terrific photo.

majeekahead

Majeekahead

22 Mar, 2008

 

fantastic picture Yellow, you have it spot on! could almost be an oil painting!

NancyM

Nancym

22 Mar, 2008

 

One really gets to appeciate the detailed features of these little gems with a close up view . Love the photo!

NancyM

Nancym

12 Feb, 2008

 

I am enjoying this site so much especially since so many of the plants are familiar to both sides of the ocean. And gardening is indeed universal in its appeal.

LittleLarford

Littlelarford

11 Feb, 2008

 

How lovely to see all our old cottage garden plants growing in your beautiful Canadian garden. All your plants look so strong and healthy too.

maple

Maple

17 Jan, 2008

 

These are my OH's favourites. It's about the only garden flower he can recognise :o )

sweetpea

Sweetpea

21 Jun, 2007

 

A nice double and seeds freely all round the garden

peter

Peter

12 Jun, 2007

 

What a difference!!