General Description/History

Columbines are very popular perennial garden plants and are used as cut flowers during their flowering season in spring. Flowers have a very distinctive shape, looking like a bell, with the base of each petal modified into an elongated spur. They come in a range of colours, commonly blue, yellow, red/yellow, purple and white. The more spectacular forms come in bi- and tri-colours, such as red outer petals and white inner ‘bonnet’. Inner petals may partially fuse to form a daffodil-like trumpet.

Columbines are grown as a field crop. Most are grown in Victoria and NSW.

Types: Columbine, Granny’s Bonnet

What to look for

• Buy when the flowers are just starting to open, and buds are fully coloured;
• Avoid bunches with fully open flowers.

Flower Care

1. Keep cool at all times.
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem and wash thoroughly.
3. Recut at least 2 cm off each branch and place in water immediately.
4. Always use a preservative as this will help buds open.
5. Replace vase water with fresh preservative every day.

Interesting Facts about this Flower

Columbines usually refer to the larger, bright, multi-coloured flowers, while Granny’s Bonnets refer to the parental forms, such as A. vulgaris. These are usually one colour, such as pale blue, pink or white, and tend to self-seed in the garden.

Botanical Name: Aquilegia species

Common Names: Columbine, Granny

Stem Length: 20 to 50 cm

Country of Origin: Europe, North America

Available Colours: Blue, Purple, Red, White, Yellow

Season: Summer,Spring

Availability: January,February,September,October,November,Decemeber