Columbine
Columbines are delicate, airy plants with curiously spurred, showy flowers in a wide range of colors and forms. They are useful in borders and in “wild” gardens. They prefer filtered, light shade, but will take full sun in moderate climates.These ideal woodland plants need cool, moist soil that is rich in organic matter.
The flowers, which appear in May and June, come in shades of white, blue, purple, red, pink, yellow, orange, reddish brown, and nearly black, in solids or bi-colors. Each bloom consists of five sepals and five tubular petals that extend into spurs beyond the rear of the blossom. Hybridizers have developed a huge array not only of color but of flower size, from 1 11/2 to 4 inches across and up to 6 inches long. The flowers nod gracefully at the ends of long, slender stems.
The foliage is light green, often with a slight silvery, dusty cast that catches and holds dewdrops. Notched compound leaves give the plant an open, finely textured appearance somewhat like that of maidenhair fern. Foliage can be effective into August, if not attacked by leaf miners. The plant grows from 18 to 36 inches tall.
Columbine is usually short-lived, especially if the soil does not have perfect drainage. It does self-sow in favorable environments, but the offspring will differ, often radically, from hybrid parents.
