Scientific Name
Aquilegia bertolonii Schott
Synonym(s)
Aquilegia pyrenaica subsp. bertolonii, Aquilegia pyrenaica var. bertolonii, Aquilegia reuteri
Common Name(s)
Bertoloni Columbine, Apennines Columbine
Scientific Classification
Family: Ranunculaceae
Subfamily: Isopyroideae
Tribe: Isopyreae
Subtribe: Isopyrinae
Genus: Aquilegia
Origin
Aquilegia bertolonii is native to southern France and Italy.
Flower
Color: Blue-purple
Bloom Time: Early summer
Description
Aquilegia bertolonii is an alpine herbaceous perennial with erect stems and much-divided basal leaves. It grows up to 12 inches (30 cm) tall.
In early summer, each stem produces up to 4 spurred blue-purple flowers.
How to Grow and Care for Aquilegia bertolonii
Hardiness: USDA hardiness zones 6a to 8b: from -10°F (-23.3°C) to 20°F (-6.7°C).
Columbine plants can handle full sun. They don't like the combination of heat and dry soil, and mulching will help alleviate that. They will self-sow, but new plants can be lost if the summer gets too hot. Also, plants tend to be short-lived, fading out within three years. Hedge your bets and save some seeds to sow in the fall or the falling spring. Keep in mind that Columbine varieties readily cross-pollinate. If you plant more than one variety, be prepared to see new colors and combinations. If self-sowing becomes a nuisance, shear the plants back in mid-summer to prevent seed pods from forming.
You can start Columbine from seed or from a plant. Seeds can be direct sown throughout spring. The seeds need light to germinate, so press them into the soil surface and cover them with soil only barely. Since Columbine is a perennial, it will take two years from seed to bloom.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Columbine.
Links
- Back to genus Aquilegia
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
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