Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine Blue’ (Columbine)

Resembling Clematis flowers, Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Clementine Blue’ is a very pretty Columbine with its bouquets of spurless double flowers facing upwards for a perfect display (1.5 in. wide or 4 cm). Rising with natural grace above a compact, ferny foliage of blue-green leaves, this perennial blooms profusely for up to 4-6 weeks from late spring to early summer.

‘Clementine Blue’ is a cultivar of the Clementine Series, which is noted for being short, compact with spurless flowers and perfectly suited for pots and containers. Other Clementine varieties include Aquilegia ‘Clementine Rose’, Aquilegia ‘Clementine Salmon Rose’, Aquilegia ‘Clementine Purple Dark’ and Aquilegia ‘Clementine White’. They all are lovely additions in the shade garden!

• Grows in a bushy, upright clump up to 14-16 in. high (35-40 cm) and spreads 12-14 in. (3-35 cm). This perennial is generally short-lived but will self-seed prolifically to form large colonies in satisfactory growing conditions.
• 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. Perfect for pots and containers, excellent cut flowers with a long-lasting vase life!
• Susceptible to leaf miner.
• May be grown from seed sown directly in the garden in spring (after 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.