About
Aquilegia McKana Group consists of robust, clump-forming perennials that typically reach heights of up to 75 cm. The foliage features bluish-green leaves that are segmented into rounded leaflets. From late spring through early summer, these plants produce large flowers that can face downward, outward, or upward, each exhibiting long spurs. The blooms come in a range of colors, including white, pale yellow, and various shades of purple, pink, and red, with some displaying bicolored patterns.
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, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained
- Aspect
- East-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Wildlife gardens
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. See aquilegia cultivation
- Pruning
- To encourage more flowers (and prevent self-seeding) deadhead regularly. Cut back foliage after flowering to promote fresh growth in late summer
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed; home-saved seed 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, caterpillars, leaf miners, aquilegia gall midge and aquilegia sawfly
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew