code: 743
This delightful dwarf cultivar blooms a earlier than most columbines
Family: Ranunculaceae
Common name: AQUILEGIA MINI STAR, Granny’s Bonnets
Plant Classification: Hardy perennial
Minimum Height: 8 cm
Maximum Height: 13 cm
This is an outstanding dwarf variety of columbine from Japan, where it is also known as the Fan columbine after the rounded, curved shape of the leaves. This delightful dwarf cultivar blooms a earlier than most columbines, opening its first flowers in April and continuing on for several weeks. The blooms are disproportionately large, with bright blue sepals with a white corolla, each flower being topped with prominent horns and appearing on short stems above compact, attractive fan-shaped foliage.
Sowing advice:
For best results, sow seeds immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. However, we sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, and often wait for spring before emerging regardless of when they are sown. But spring sowing will obviously give them a full season of growth if successful germination occurs.
