Columbine Flower

Columbine flower is a herbaceous perennial plant and it is exceedingly easy to grow it in a garden. This, as well as its attractive showy flowers, make the plant one of the most popular choices among gardeners.

Depending on the variety, the flowers can have different colors that include blue, pink, purple, maroon, yellow and white.

The blooming period typically lasts three to four weeks in late spring and early summer.

A Columbine plant will usually reach up to three feet in height, and it is very easy to brighten up your garden with a variety of colors by planting these flowers.

You can see from the images on this page just how beautiful these flowers are and visualise what a difference they will make to your garden design.

Soil

Make sure to choose a location in your garden which is open to morning sunlight and partially shaded in the noon period of the day.

Columbine flower should be planted in early spring into a well drained and moderately fertilized soil.

Cover the soil with a layer of organic compost, approximately one inch thick, and dig it in.

After Columbines are planted, add 5-10-5 NPK fertilizer once a month to provide all the necessary components for bettering the plants' growth.

Make sure not to overdose the fertilizing, read the instructions carefully. For best effect water the plants at once, so the nutrients will mix with the soil. The space between these plants should be around ten inches.

How to grow

While growing, Columbine flowers need to be watered once every six or seven days. Try to avoid the complete dryness of the soil as this will cause the plants to droop very quickly. After the flowers are grown, the frequency of watering can be reduced.

The procedure of “dead heading” should be performed very carefully, try to cut the faded flowers off closer to the step to prevent damaging the plant.

New flowers will not take long to appear to replace the old ones. Also, try to cut the “dead heads” before the flowers start seeding.

For winter protection, cover the died off Columbine plants with four inches of mulch. It is better to start this procedure in late fall, before the winter frosts start.

It comes without saying that the mulch should be removed in the beginning of spring, so the plant can start growing again.

Important thing to remember

The flowers of Columbine plants are exceedingly poisonous, so they are not to be consumed under any circumstances.

Avoid mixing them with food products and children should be provided with a proper Columbine flowers information if they are likely to be playing in areas where these plants are growing.

Consuming the flowers might cause fatal consequences, or at the very least serious disease.

Propagation

Columbine plants are propagated by sowing seeds in the beginning of spring. Do not forget to keep the right distance between the plants.

Dealing with insects

The plants are attractive to all kind of unpleasant insects who will not miss the chance of a good feast.

Among these creatures there are caterpillars, aphids and leaf miners. They are not to be scared of as it is always possible to cut the plant after it stops blooming.

From the more positive side, Columbine flowers are also extremely attractive for butterflies and hummingbirds, which will add the magical beauty to the ambiance of your garden.

Don't hesitate if you are considering planting Columbine flowers, their beauty will not leave you indifferent, and they will certainly add something special to your garden.

To sum up

Columbine flower is one of the easiest shade flowers to grow. They bloom late Spring to early Summer. Their blooms are blue, maroon, pink purple,white or yellow. The blooms will last 3 to 4 weeks. Dead heading will keep the blooms coming through the season.

You will want to leave some of the flowers to go to seed so they can self seed for next year.

Propagate by sowing seed in early spring.

Generally this is a flower for shade gardening that will grow 2 to 3 feet tall depending on which species you buy. They do their best in humus rich soil that is well drained. Light shade is best over all.

That's the good news! I must tell you this before I end with some more good news. There are a variety of insects that will wreck havoc. For more information about these insects please see my page dedicated to Garden Pests. Leaf miners, caterpillars and aphids will all show up to feast. The way to handle this is to cut the plant to the ground, after the blooms fade or at the first sign of these critters.

There might be a new flush of growth or they could go into dormancy. Next year they will re-appear for a new season of beautiful flowers.

As promised, more good news. This is a terrific flower for attracting humming birds. The flower seems to be designed for humming birds and butterflies.

So don't be afraid of this flower, there are ways to deal with the insects and reap the rewards of these gorgeous Summer beauties.

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