About
This robust perennial reaches heights of up to 40 cm and features glaucous green foliage that is segmented into lobed leaflets. In early summer, it produces upright stems that support one or two pendulous flowers, displaying a lilac blue hue with white tips on the petals.
About the genus
Aquilegia consists of herbaceous perennials that grow in clumps, characterized by their long-stemmed, three-parted basal leaves. The upright, leafy stems support bell-shaped blooms featuring wide-spreading sepals and petals that possess spurs, all arranged on branched stalks.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Bushy, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens, Gravel garden, Patio and container plants
- Toxicity
- Sap may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in a lightly shaded spot, in moist, fertile soil that doesn't dry out. Resents root disturbance
- Pruning
- Remove faded flower stems to prevent self-seeding
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids, leaf miners, sawflies and caterpillars
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews