Aquilegia formosa

Ranunculaceae

Aquilegia formosa

Habitat: sunny borders Flowering: late spring to early summer Height: 70 cm Width: 45 cm Soil: any good garden soil

There are dozens of species of Aquilegia, and hundreds of hybrids. The species range from small alpines from high in the mountains to tall plants from woods or meadows, which would be at home in a herbaceous border. The ones we offer include excellent and reliable rock garden plants and others that are unusual or new in cultivation. They come from all round the Northern Hemisphere.

Aquilegia formosa forms fabulous fiery flowers of orange outer sepals, yellow inner petals with red lobes and upright reddish orange spurs. Great accent plants for an herbaceous border.
9 cm pot £3.00

		Aquilegia bertolonii is a fine plant for the rock garden with lots of blue (slightly purplish) spurred flowers. It comes from southern Europe.
		Aquilegia canadensis bears red flowers with yellow centres.
		Aquilegia canadensis ex SDR1068 is a medium sized woodland species from eastern parts of the US as well as Canada. It has red flowers with yellow centres, or being American, centers.
		Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns' is half the size of the species. The brilliant red lantern-like flowers with yellow corollas have a nodding habit to start with, they then bend upwards to reveal their stamens. Prefers to be in full sun, though will tolerate part-shade, but must be kept moist through the summer.
		Aquilegia canadensis 'Nana' is a dwarf form of this species, with yellow-centred red flowers and quite dark green leaves.
		Aquilegia chrysantha is a fine species, with showy, long-spurred, yellow flowers. It comes from the Chihuahua Desert, but nevertheless is happy in our cooler, wetter conditions.
		Aquilegia coerulea is widespread in the Rocky Mountains, and was selected as the state flower for Colorado. In most forms it has blue sepals with long spurs and white petals.
		Aquilegia coerulea var. alpina is a variety of the Colorado alpine columbine that actually comes from Wyoming, and a few sites in Utah. Its flowers are a little smaller than those of other varieties, but in pale blue with long spurs, they are delightful.
		Aquilegia coerulea var. coerulea is a showy plant, widespread in the Rocky Mountains, and selected as the state flower for Colorado. In this form it has medium or deep blue sepals with long spurs and white petals.
		Aquilegia discolor is a fine plant for the rock garden with lots of blue flowers with white centres, and short, slightly hooked spurs.
		Aquilegia flabellata Cameo series is a name given to dwarf varieties with flower colours in combinations of pink, blue and white, ideal for a rock garden or raised bed.
		Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila is a reliable plant for the rock garden soon giving masses of flowers on short stems. It has blue flowers with white centres. Originally from Japan.
		Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila f. alba is a reliable plant for the rock garden soon giving masses of white flowers on short stems. Originally from Japan.
		Aquilegia flabellata 'Rosea' is a reliable and easy plant for the rock garden soon giving masses of flowers on short stems, which should be rosy pink, although seed-raised plants may occasionally vary in colour.
		Aquilegia formosa NNS07-39 has wonderful fiery flowers, bright yellow with vivid red spurs, about twice the size as those in most forms. This collection came from coniferous forests in the Blue Mountains of Oregon.
		Aquilegia jonesii is a dwarf alpine species with blue or purple, upturned, short-spurred flowers. Very good for screes or raised beds.
		Aquilegia jonesii x saximontana is a dwarf variety with white-centred blue flowers.
		Aquilegia longissima has scented, pale yellow flowers with bright yellow, backward-pointing spurs.
		Aquilegia pyrenaica is quite a short plant, with deep purply-blue flowers. It is related to Aquilegia alpina, but it distinctly shorter, so is more suitable for the rock garden.
		Aquilegia 'Red Hobbit' is a dwarf Danish selection with delightful long-spurred cream and crimson flowers with yellow stamens. Bushy and early blooming, this is a stable hybrid which comes true to colour when reseeding in the garden.
		Aquilegia rockii bears purply-red flowers with apple green foliage.
		Aquilegia rockii SDR1680 is from the border area of NW Yunnan and Tibet, in sheltered woodland. The flowers are deep maroon.
		Aquilegia saximontana also known as the Rocky Mountain Columbine so a true alpine aquilegia. The smooth, blue-green foliage provides a pleasant contrast with flowers which range in colour from pale blue to violet and lavender to cream and tan. Very attractive to bees and butterflies.
		Aquilegia scopulorum has lovely lavender-blue to violet flowers with long slender spurs and a creamy white centre. These bob about above a cushion-like mass of blue-green leaves. Ideal plant for a scree or raised alpine bed.
		Aquilegia vulgaris SDR5436 is a European species, with many purplish blue flowers, easily grown in sun or partial shade. This collection comes from woods, over limestone, in the eastern Alps.
		Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata is a form of Aquilegia caerulea, differing principally in not having long spurs on the flowers, and it is also somewhat shorter. It grows in damp places in open woodland. The flowers are usually deep pink. American.
		Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata 'Greenapples' is one of a group of varieties with double flowers and no spurs, which are deemed to look like Clematis flowers. I guess that it must depend on who does the deeming. Anyway, it is unusual, not just because of the form of the flowers, but because they are lime green, at least when they first open, then becoming cream edged with green, and finally creamy white all over. The leaves are a similar shade of green when they are fresh, but they darken on maturing.
		Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness' has beautiful deep purple flowers with contrasting white corollas and smooth, blue-green foliage.
		Semiaquilegia ecalcarata is very like an aquilegia, so it is included with them here, but the flowers do not have the characteristic spurs. They are borne in loose sprays, and are in a colour range from dusky pink through to deep purplish red - all classy colours. It originates from China.