Aquilegia Songbird ‘Cardinal’ (Columbine)

Compact with large upward-facing flowers, Aquilegia Songbird ‘Cardinal’ is very eye-catching with its long-spurred, red and white bicolor flowers, up to 3 in. long (7 cm), rising with natural grace above a lovely fern-like, blue-green foliage. Blooming for 4-6 weeks in late spring to early summer, this perennial is generally short-lived but will self-seed without being annoying. ‘Cardinal’ is a cultivar of the Songbird Series, which is noted for its compact plants and large upward-facing flowers in shades of blue, red, or yellow, often with contrasting white petals.

Other Songbird Series cultivars include Aquilegia ‘Blue Bird‘, Aquilegia ‘Goldfinch’, Aquilegia ‘Dove’, and many others. They all are lovely additions to the shade garden!

• Grows in a bushy, upright clump, up to 12-18 in. tall (30-45 cm) and 12-16 in. wide (30-40 cm).
• Performs best in full sun to part shade, in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. Seriously dislikes poorly drained soils! Rich, moist soils in part shade are preferred. Do not let the soil dry out.
• Attracts hummingbirds and butterflies, but is ignored by rabbits and deer!
• Easy to grow, this plant is a welcomed addition to beds, borders, rock gardens, cottage gardens, shade gardens, or naturalized areas. Excellent cut flowers lasting up to 2 weeks in a vase!
• Susceptible to leaf miner.
• May be grown from seed sown directly in the garden in spring (after the danger of frost has passed). Division is possible in spring, but it may take some time for the plant to recover.
• Remove faded flowering stems to promote additional bloom. Cut to the ground when the foliage declines (around midsummer).
• Contact with the sap may irritate the skin

Aquilegia is a genus of clump-forming, short-lived perennials noted for their late spring to midsummer blooms of single or double, short-spurred or spurless flowers, in a variety of colors ranging from blue to violet to white to pink to red. A classic element of herbaceous borders, Columbines mix beautifully with peonies, irises, alliums, and roses.