Earlybird™ Purple Blue Columbine

Size

Columbine is a dependable bloomer in the early spring garden. Earlybird™ Purple Blue Columbine is a long time bloomer that continues well into the summer to provide enjoyment for both gardeners and beneficial pollinators. Soft purple spurs ring the beautiful blue petals that offset the yellow stamens in the center of the flower. This columbine is much more compact in height, but has a profusion of bloom stems that are great as cut flowers. Columbine also tolerates coastal and windy conditions. Earlybird™ Purple Blue Columbine is the right size to be used at the front of a garden bed as edging or in a container as part of a mixed, seasonal planting. Not only do the usual spring blooming bulbs work with Aquilegia, but it fits in with summer bloomers such as Iris, Shasta Daisy and Hosta. Earlybird™ Purple Blue Columbine Care Aquilegia likes a well drained, moist soil and will require additional irrigation during dry periods. The soil pH is flexible, anything from slightly acidic (5.0) to alkaline (8.0) is acceptable. Columbine will bloom dependably in either full, sun or part shade. A Shadier site in the hottest areas of the hardiness zone will ensure blooming throughout the summer. Fertilizing is easy and only needs to be done once. A slow release, well balanced plant food is recommended. Mulching with organic compost or leaves in the fall will help the plant to overwinter successfully. Pruning and cutting back of Columbine is only needed as the blooms die back late in the summer. Cutting the whole plant back by half in the mid summer may encourage a late flush of blooms. Mildews and rusts are sometimes an issue with Columbine as the summer goes on. Because Columbine is a herbaceous perennial, infections of mildews do not generally cause problems for the following year. The best way to handle this is to cut out the infected foliage so that it does not spread to the rest of the plant. Earlybird™ Purple Blue Columbine Spacing Earlybird™ is more compact than traditional Columbine and can be planted slightly closer. The height of 9-12 inches and width of 8-12 inches make this a great size to add to containers in the same manner as an annual. Spacing of 8 inches on center when planting in the garden bed will ensure proper air circulation around the plants to help keep pests and diseases away.