About
Aquilegia fragrans is a perennial plant that reaches heights of approximately 40 cm. It features deeply lobed, blue-green basal foliage. In spring, slender stems rise above the leaves, showcasing fragrant, nodding blooms. The flowers consist of white spurs and sepals, which may exhibit a subtle flush of pale purple, while the inner petals are cream or pale yellow.
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
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, Wildflower meadow, Wildlife gardens
- Fragrance
- Flower
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Thrives in rich, fertile, consistently moist soil in sun or part shade; dislikes heavy clay. See aquilegia cultivation for more detailed advice
- Pruning
- Cut foliage back to the ground as it fades
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed, though self-seeded plants may not come true. Established plants can also be propagated by division in spring, but they dislike root disturbance and will be slow to recover
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids, aquilegia gall midge, aquilegia sawfly and caterpillars
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew