Growing Columbine: care, varieties and garden uses

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Few cottage-garden plants earn their place as effortlessly as Aquilegia vulgaris, whose nodding, spurred flowers hover above delicate blue-green foliage from late spring into early summer. Known as granny’s bonnet or common columbine, it slips happily between roses, geraniums and foxgloves, filling the awkward gap between the tulips fading and the herbaceous border hitting its stride. Its most endearing (and occasionally exasperating) trait is its promiscuity: seedlings cross freely, so an aquilegia patch rarely looks the same two years running.

Growing conditions

Aquilegia is a woodland-edge plant at heart, so it performs best in light or dappled shade where the soil stays cool. It will grow perfectly well in full sun in cooler, damper regions such as Scotland, Ireland or northern France, provided the roots never bake dry. In hot southern gardens, afternoon shade keeps the foliage fresher for far longer.

Give it a moisture-retentive but free-draining soil enriched with leaf mould or garden compost. It is genuinely unfussy about pH, thriving on neutral, mildly acidic and chalky soils alike. The one thing it will not tolerate is winter waterlogging, which rots the fleshy taproot.

Hardiness is rarely an issue — established plants shrug off hard frosts and need no protection. Gardeners in warm, humid climates should expect shorter-lived plants and more mildew, so lean on self-sown replacements rather than trying to nurse old clumps along.

How to plant Aquilegia

Plant pot-grown aquilegias in autumn or early spring, when the soil is warm and reliably moist so the taproot can settle before flowering. Autumn planting usually gives the strongest first-season display.

• Space plants 40–45 cm apart so air circulates freely around the foliage — crowding invites powdery mildew.
• Set the crown level with the soil surface; burying it deeper encourages rot at the base.
• Fork in a bucketful of well-rotted compost or leaf mould per square metre before planting to hold moisture.
• Water in generously and keep the soil damp for the first six weeks, especially for spring plantings.
• Sow fresh seed in late summer in a shaded cold frame — the cold winter period improves germination. Aquilegias resent division, so seed is by far the better route.

Care through the seasons

Spring: Clear away winter debris and apply a 5 cm mulch of compost around emerging rosettes, keeping it clear of the crown. A light feed of general-purpose organic fertiliser in March supports the flower spikes. Watch for the first leaf miner trails and pinch off affected leaves immediately.

Summer: Water during dry spells while plants are still flowering, as drought-stressed leaves mildew quickly. Once blooms fade, either deadhead promptly to keep the border tidy or leave a few pods to ripen for self-seeding. Cutting the whole plant back to the ground after flowering often prompts a fresh flush of clean, attractive foliage.

Autumn: Tidy away yellowing leaves and scatter ripe seed where you would like new plants. This is the ideal moment to plant new stock or move self-sown seedlings, whilst they are still small and the taproot is easily lifted. A thin mulch of leaf mould mimics their natural woodland conditions.

Winter: Plants die back to a low crown or a small evergreen rosette and need no protection whatsoever. Simply ensure the soil is not sitting sodden, as winter wet is the main killer.

Best varieties to grow

The species itself is lovely, but several named forms bring reliable colour and form to the border.

• Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Nora Barlow’ — fully double, spurless pompoms in pink tipped with white and green; a long-standing cottage favourite.
• Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Munstead White’ (syn. ‘Nivea’) — pure white nodding bells above grey-green leaves, holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit and glows in shade.
• Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Black Barlow’ — dramatic deep maroon-black double flowers that contrast beautifully with silver foliage plants.
• Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ (syn. ‘Magpie’) — striking deep purple-black petals with crisp white centres, tall and elegant at around 80 cm.

Pests, diseases and common problems

• Aquilegia leaf miner: Pale, winding tunnels scribbled across the leaves; largely cosmetic, so simply remove and bin affected foliage, or shear the plant back after flowering for fresh regrowth.
• Powdery mildew: A white dusty coating in dry summers, worst on crowded or drought-stressed plants. Improve spacing, water at the base and cut affected growth right down — new leaves usually emerge clean.
• Aquilegia downy mildew: A more serious disease causing yellow blotches, distorted growth and pale fuzz beneath the leaves; there is no cure, so dig up and destroy infected plants and avoid replanting aquilegias in that spot.
• Sawfly caterpillars: Green larvae can strip leaves to the stalks almost overnight in late spring; pick them off by hand in the evening or hose them off with a jet of water.