code: 646
with deep purple-blue flowers in July and August
Family: Ranunculaceae
Common name: Pyrenees Columbine, Granny’s bonnet,
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 15 cm
Maximum Height: 30 cm
Related to Aquilegia alpina, but distinctly shorter, with deep purple-blue flowers in July and August, this gem is quite suitable for the rock garden. In the wild it is found in stony grass, scree or boulders, on limestone, from about 1600m to about 2600m and is distinguished from Aquilegia vulgaris by its straight spurs, not rolled ones, and stamens shorter than the petals.
Sowing advice:
Seeds can be sown at any time but are best sown in winter or early spring to benefit from a cold spell in the wet compost to break their dormancy. We advise covering seeds very thinly with sand or fine grit to about the depth of the seed size. If the seeds do not come up within 6 to 12 weeks the damp seed tray can be given cold treatment in a fridge for about four weeks. They may still take very many months to appear, so please never discard the pot or tray.
Genus: Aquilegia
Species:
discolor– A. discolor is a compact, clump-forming, deciduous perennial with grey-green leaves divided into three rounded, lobed leaflets and, in late spring and early summer, upright stems bearing short-spurred flowers with violet-blue to purple outer petals and white inner petals.
Native to: Spain
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Clump-forming, Compact
Toxicity: May cause stomach irritation if ingested.
WHERE TO GROW:
Aquilegia discolor (Alpine columbine) will reach a height of 0.15m and a spread of 0.3m after 2-5 years.
