When to Plant Columbine?

Columbine (Aquilegia spp.) is a short-lived perennial that lives only about two or three years. It is native to the United States and, in fact, is the state flower of Colorado. Columbine’s bell-shaped flowers, which are usually white, pink-purple or blue, blossom in the spring and early summer, often in clumps that reach about 1 to 2 feet tall and equally as wide. Columbine is easily planted from container plants available in nurseries and online.

When to Plant

• Plant columbine in the spring. Columbine can tolerate some frost, but ideally, you should wait until after the last frost date in your area. Newly planted plants often experience stress and frost does not help. Even though columbine usually only lives a couple years, they will most likely reseed themselves naturally, growing new plants over the years. Note that columbine hybrid varieties will not grow exactly the same as the parent plants.

Where to Plant

• Columbine grows naturally where there is some afternoon shade or dappled sunlight, such as along the edge of a forest. In the garden, plant them in similar conditions. In full sun, columbine leaves can scorch and the soil will dry out quickly. Afternoon sun is always the hottest, so while the label of your columbine seeds or plants may say partial sun, it is best to plant them with some protection from the afternoon sun, especially in climates with extremely hot summers.

How to Plant

• Columbine prefers soil that drains water efficiently. If your soil tends to retain water, which is most noticeable after a hard rain, mix in compost, leaf mold or another organic matter into the planting bed to help improve drainage. Adding about 2 to 4 inches of organic matter, such as compost, into the top 12 to 15 inches works well. Plant established plants about 15 inches apart, but some varieties need spacing as wide as 3 feet.

Other Tips

• To prolong flower blooms, pinch off blooms as they wither or fade. This practice is called deadheading and prevents columbine from seeding, so if you want them to seed, don’t deadhead. In the fall, cut back columbine when it dies back to keep your garden tidy. Consider planting summer and fall flowering plants in front of columbines. When columbines are finished blooming, they are not attractive.