Aquilegia

Family. Ranunculaceae.

Origin, where it grows. Interestingly, the origin of a flower can be easily determined by its appearance. The monochromatic buds with hooked spurs belong to varieties originating from Eurasia. Contrasting and brightly colored flowers with straight spurs will indicate that the plant comes from North America. Asian species, native to Japan and China, often do not have spurs at all.

Description. Aquilegia, columbine are decorative flowering herbaceous perennials with very unusual flowers, thanks to which the plant received a second, very romantic name - elf slippers. The name "columbine" comes from the Latin name for the flower - "aqua" - water and "legere" - to collect. Also, according to the properties of the flower, the name “catchment” comes from the water-repellent surface of the leaves. Droplets of moisture falling on the leaf blades collect near the petioles into a small puddle. There is a version according to which the name “eagle” comes from the word “aquila” - eagle.

The root system of the flower is deep, taprooted, reaches 50 cm, and every year it forms a renewal bud, from which plant development begins.

The bushes have erect, thin and fairly rigid stems, abundantly branched at the base.

The leaves are trifoliate - compound, on long, thin, often pubescent petioles, green or bluish-green. The leaf segments are oblong - oval or triangular, the edges of the leaf blades are rounded - jagged.

The peduncles are tall, often arched at the top, bearing small inflorescences with drooping flowers. One peduncle can bear up to 12 attractive flowers. 

Aquilegia buds are bell-shaped, with 5 outer, oblong sepals and 5 inner rounded petals, often forming an attractive “skirt” of contrasting color. The sepals are often colored in shades of blue, indigo, violet, lilac, white and pink. The petals either repeat the color of the sepals or remain a contrasting white or yellow color. Some varieties have long spurs on the back of the buds and on the petals, in which nectar collects. In some large-flowered varieties, the buds reach 10 cm in diameter.

No less interesting are the fruits - multi-leaflets, consisting of long rounded segments curved in different directions. Each such segment contains small ones - less than 1 mm. in diameter, black seeds.

The genus "columbine" includes about 120 plant species, but only 35 species have received more or less widespread recognition in floriculture. 

Height. Depending on the specific variety, it can vary from 20 to 100 cm. 

When it blooms

Flowering occurs in late spring - early summer and lasts about 3 - 4 weeks. Each flower remains open and attractive for 10 to 20 days. Individual flower stalks with buds may continue to appear until autumn and the first night frosts. The formation of buds will be most abundant in adult 3-4 year old bushes - then the ability to flower becomes weaker. 

Planting and care

Interestingly, unlike most other flowering plants, columbine prefers areas shaded from direct sunlight during the day. Of course, you can plant a bush in a brightly lit place, but the buds of such a specimen will be depleted, and the flowering time will be significantly reduced.

How and when to plant 

Plant the bushes in the garden in the spring, after the last night frosts have died down. Autumn planting is also possible, but it must be done so that the flowers adapt well to the new location and take root before the onset of night frosts.

First, carefully dig up the soil, level it with a rake and remove weeds from the area.

Do not plant several varieties in close proximity to each other - cross-pollination is possible, as a result of which the plants will degenerate and lose the declared varietal characteristics.

For planting, prepare holes, the distance between which is maintained in accordance with the planting scheme and varietal characteristics. The higher the bushes, the greater the distance between them should be. Miniature varieties can be placed at a distance of 20 - 30 cm, and tall ones require 40 - 50 cm. The depth and width of the planting holes should be larger than the size of the root ball of the seedlings.

The day before planting, the seedlings are watered generously so that the soil comes away from the sides of the pots more easily. The bushes are taken out of the containers and transferred to the planting holes, making sure that they are at the same depth as in the pots. The root system is covered with soil and the surface is slightly compacted. The crops are watered generously with water. ,

The soil surface is covered with a layer of mulch, which will delay the evaporation of moisture and the development of weeds.

To help the plants take root faster, they are protected from direct sunlight for several weeks after planting.

When growing in the garden, provide timely watering, after which loosen and weed the area. For abundant and long-lasting flowering, the bushes will need additional feeding during the period of growth and budding.

To prevent self-seeding, immediately after flowering, remove the flower stalks - pinch or cut off. Old, yellowing and dying leaf blades are also subject to pruning.

Mature bushes, due to the annual growth of roots and the formation of a new renewal bud, begin to protrude more and more from the ground - such specimens are hilled, sprinkling the roots with an additional layer of soil.

Soil

Representatives of this genus like loose and nutritious soils that easily pass moisture and allow the root system to breathe. The soil should contain a sufficient amount of organic matter in the form of leaf and turf humus. In too heavy, dense soils, a sufficient amount of river sand is pre-mixed.

Transplant

Transplantation is carried out as needed - for example, for dividing and rejuvenating plants. Adult aquilegias have a negative attitude towards this procedure, so it is better to transfer the plants - transfer them to a new place along with the root ball, without destroying it.

It is worth replanting after flowering. If you move the flower into the spring months. before the formation of buds, this may negatively affect flowering.

It is worth remembering that, despite all efforts, over time, columbines aged 5-6 years lose their attractiveness and bloom less abundantly - such specimens should be replaced with young seedlings.

Feeding

During spring and summer, 3-4 fertilizing with mineral fertilizers is carried out for flowering plants. The watershed responds positively to both mineral compounds and organic fertilizers.

As organic matter, you can use leaf and turf humus, well-rotted horse or cow manure, or a weak solution of chicken manure. Organic matter must be well rotted, otherwise it will only cause harm. Feeding with fresh organic matter often weakens plants and leads to the appearance of fungal diseases and rot. 

The first fertilizing is carried out in the spring, with the appearance of the first leaves - nitrogen-containing compounds can be used for it.

During the formation of buds, fertilizers are applied a second time and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers are used.

The last - third fertilizing is done immediately after flowering; it should contain enough potassium to strengthen the root system and prepare for wintering. 

Autumn care and preparation for winter

Before the first autumn frosts, the entire above-ground part is cut off, leaving stumps 5-7 cm high. The root system is additionally hilled and sprinkled with a small layer of humus on top for insulation. In the spring, after the snow melts, this layer will serve as fertilizer. Unlike most other species, the frost resistance of columbine decreases with age. This is due to the fact that each time the plant develops from a new renewal bud and adult specimens protrude more and more from the ground. Basically, young seedlings have good winter hardiness.

Reproduction

There are 3 ways to propagate a flower - growing from seeds, dividing plants and cuttings from shoots.

Growing from seeds

Aquilegia seeds retain high germination for 1 year after collection, then it gradually decreases and disappears after 3 years of storage. There is no point in germinating such seeds. In the garden, self-seeding often appears under adult bushes.

For such propagation, you can use self-collected seeds, but only species daughter plants will be able to fully retain their appearance, while varietal plants may lose their attractiveness when propagated by seed.

The seeds are collected after full ripening - the polyphyllus is separated when its walls become brown and dry. The planting material is removed from the fruits and dried in a warm and well-ventilated room for several hours.

In the fall, almost immediately after collection, the seeds are sown directly into open ground, for which the site is pre-prepared - the soil is loosened and shallow furrows are made. After sowing, the seeds are covered with soil about 5 mm thick or the planting material is simply pressed into the soil surface.

When sowing in winter, the seeds undergo cool stratification naturally, but it is worth choosing the sowing time so that the sprouts do not begin to develop before the onset of winter.

Before the onset of frost, the area with crops is covered with non-woven material. Immediately after the snow melts, the cover is removed, and the first shoots will appear in late April - May. In the first year of life, the plant will form only a leaf rosette, and the first buds will adorn the bushes grown from seeds only in the second year of life.

It is possible to sow catchment seeds for seedlings in small special greenhouses. To improve germination, seeds are given a cool period for a month - stratification. Planting material is mixed with a small amount of moistened river sand or peat and wrapped in polyethylene. The bag is placed in the vegetable compartment in the refrigerator. Sowing of seedlings is carried out at the end of winter - beginning of spring.

In greenhouses for seedlings, the first step is to place a moisture-wicking layer of small expanded clay or broken brick. You can also use pieces of polystyrene foam or clay shards from old pots as drainage. Fill the container with nutritious and loose flower soil mixed with river sand, perlite or vermiculite. 

The surface of the substrate is moistened and seeds are sown. The top of the crops is covered with a small layer of soil and watered again. For seedlings, make a shelter in a sheet of newspaper or a piece of fabric, which allows the flowers to breathe, but at the same time helps maintain a sufficiently high air humidity. 

Place the seedling boxes in a cool place - with a temperature of about 16 - 18 degrees Celsius - in a place with good lighting, but out of direct sun. The cover is removed daily and the crops are ventilated, increasing the ventilation time.

With the appearance of the first shoots (usually this occurs within 7 - 14 days), the shelter is completely removed. Shoots usually appear together. 

When each bush can boast 2 - 3 true leaf blades (1.5 months after sowing), the flowers are planted in small separate pots. The dive is carried out carefully, picking up the plants along with the root ball. Place the flower in a new pot so that its long root is not bent and is directed upward.

7-10 days after diving, the first fertilizing is carried out with a weak solution of nitrogen fertilizers. 

Dividing adult bushes

Most often, columbines are divided at the age of 3-5 years, when it is necessary to preserve the varietal characteristics, but the plant is already old and may lose its decorative effect. Since the flower has one main taproot, you should be careful when dividing and ensure that each part obtained as a result of division has a sufficiently developed root system.

Unfortunately, even if all precautions are taken, the bushes are subject to overload for a long time after division, and often both divisions die.

Division is usually combined with replanting - flowers are dug up and shaken off the remains of soil. All green mass is removed without regret, leaving only about 5 cm of growth. The fact is that if you leave the leaves, they will evaporate a large amount of moisture, and the bush will die from its lack. For the process of photosynthesis, only a couple of leaves are left on each part.

The roots are washed with water and cut in half along the root with a sharp sterile knife. Each part obtained as a result of division should have 2-3 growth buds. The wound surface is sprinkled with coal powder or ash and slightly dried in the open air.

The cuttings are planted in the garden and protected from direct sunlight for the first month - their rays only increase stress for this period.

In order for the catchment to successfully take root at first, you should carefully monitor the soil moisture - water the flower in a timely manner, but make sure that the soil has time to dry out a little between waterings. A large amount of moisture, getting into the wounds in the root system, easily causes rotting.

Feeding the cuttings is not carried out for 2-3 months, since the chemical solution getting on the damaged root will cause a burn.

Cuttings

The catchment is cut using the lower segments of shoots, which are separated from the mother bushes in early spring, before the leaf blades are fully formed.

Separate the cuttings with sharp pruning shears so that a heel remains at the bottom of them. The height of the cuttings can be 8 - 10 cm.

The bases of the cuttings are dipped in rooting powder and placed in very loose soil, which will consist of humus, garden soil and coarse river sand, the latter should be approximately 50%. 

The seedlings are watered generously and covered with glass jars or halves of plastic bottles. The cover is not removed for 10 days, and ventilation begins later, opening for just a few minutes a day and gradually increasing this time. Even the soil around the cover is watered without removing it.

The greenhouse can be removed only after 4-5 weeks - during this period, the plants should already show signs of new growth, and this indicates that there are already small roots under the soil surface. Young bushes are fed with a weak solution of nitrogen fertilizers every 10-15 days to speed up the formation of leaves.

After another month or two, the flower can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Application in landscape design

Depending on the height and origin of the plants, their use in landscape design will vary. 

The best decoration of an alpine hill will be an alpine catchment, which easily tolerates a lack of nutrition on rocky slopes and does not tolerate stagnant moisture.

Tall varieties and species will become a bright accent in the center of any flower garden or flower bed, but low-growing varieties should be used in the foreground or as border plants. 

Thanks to its abundant and long-lasting flowering, aquilegia is an excellent honey plant.

Home care

Low-growing varieties of columbine are suitable for placement in pots - for example, some varieties of hybrid, fan, alpine, ferruginous and Canadian varieties. The rhizomes of two-year-old faded plants are dug up in late autumn. The root system is inspected and old and rotten roots are trimmed with pruning shears to healthy tissue.

For planting, prepare deep flower pots with drainage holes at the bottom. As usual, drainage is laid and a nutritious soil mixture of loose texture is poured. The rhizomes are placed in pots so that the root collar is flush with the soil surface.

The specimens planted in this way are placed in a dark and cool place with a temperature of 5 - 7 degrees - for example, in a basement or on a balcony, covered with dark polyethylene. From time to time, the soil is slightly moistened, not allowing it to dry out completely.

Lighting

8-9 weeks before the desired flowering date, the pots are taken out of the basement and placed in a warmer place - with a temperature of about 12-15 degrees. At this time, it is worth choosing the right window sill for the flower - the best option would be the east or west side. In such conditions, direct sunlight will hit the leaves and shoots in the morning and evening, for several hours a day.

If it is winter or early spring, the daylight hours are too short, then it is necessary to organize artificial additional lighting with fluorescent or LED lamps. With a lack of light, the bushes will become loose and elongated. 

Watering

The frequency of watering when forcing at home should be brought into line with the stages development. If immediately after planting the rhizomes are kept in barely moist soil, then as the green mass grows, the frequency of watering is gradually increased. Always water the flower with well-settled water at room temperature.

As the leaves fade and die, the frequency of watering is gradually reduced and practically eliminated. After the ground part dies, the flower is again planted outside to feed on nutrients. 

Feeding

When kept in a pot, the root system has an extremely limited feeding area and is in dire need of fertilizing. The first fertilizing is done when young leaves appear, then the plants are fertilized every 10 days. After flowering, another 1-2 fertilizings are done and the rhizome is planted in open ground.

Diseases and pests

Planting aquilegia in flooded lowlands and places where groundwater comes close to the surface of the soil leads to the appearance of root rot.

Dense plantings combined with cool, wet weather cause powdery mildew.

Insufficient air movement and high humidity also contribute to the occurrence of gray rot.

Sometimes rust appears.

Among the harmful insects that can taste the flower are caterpillars, spider mites, nematodes and aphids. 

Useful properties, contraindications

You should be careful with aquilegia seeds - they are very poisonous and, if ingested, can cause quite serious poisoning. Also, some of the toxins are found in other hired parts of the flower - keep it away from children.

The plant is used as a medicinal plant in both folk medicine and homeopathy. It is believed that representatives of the genus have an analgesic effect, remove phlegm from the lungs, and improve the condition of the liver. A decoction of the flower is also used for various skin diseases.

In addition, the leaves, shoots and buds are used as a sedative and diuretic.

In order to get the maximum effect from the plants, you need to choose the right time to collect the medicinal raw materials. Most of the nutrients are concentrated in the above-ground part during budding and flowering. During this period, the stems are cut, leaving 10 - 12 cm of growth at the roots.

The shoots are collected, tied into bundles and hung upside down in a warm place with good ventilation to dry. The grass should not be exposed to direct sunlight - ultraviolet radiation can destroy many useful compounds.

The resulting raw material is poured into cloth or paper bags and stored in a cool, dry place, using as needed for 2–3 years.

Symptoms of poisoning

With uncontrolled use and large dosages, water collection can cause poisoning, the symptoms of which will be:

• nausea and vomiting,
• weakness and dizziness,
• drowsiness and temporary color blindness,
• in severe cases, cardiac arrhythmias are observed.  

Varieties and types:

Terry Aquilegia - Aquilegia double Winky

A distinctive feature of the double varieties of the columbine are large, upward-pointing double flowers in bright, often dark shades - purple, red, burgundy. The plants bloom very profusely and for a long time - for 1 - 1.5 months. In general, flowering bushes resemble living bouquets.

Aquilegia  Nora Barlow ​ 

 Spurless plants 70 - 75 cm high with unusual, double flowers with many narrow petals. The flowers are pink, the tips of the petals are painted white or greenish.

Aquilegia hybrida

 Currently, many hybrid varieties of aquilegia have been bred - with the help of different species, breeders strive to develop varieties that will inherit from their parents visual attractiveness and resistance to adverse external conditions.

Aquilegia Biedermeier

Plants are compact in size and often do not exceed 30 - 40 cm in height. Flowering is early - occurs in April - May. The shades of the buds are most often in soft pastel colors - the flowers can be colored red, blue, white or pink.

Aquilegia  vulgaris

 Flowering perennials 45 - 90 cm high, originating from European territory. The buds with short curved spurs bloom in early spring, after the snow cover has melted. The flowers are colored lavender, blue, purple, white or pink.

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Clementine Double Red'

Small flowering varietal bushes 35 - 40 cm high. During the flowering period they form double, spur-less buds, painted in white, pink, red, blue shades. Flowering is later - occurs at the end of May and lasts for 1 - 1.5 months.

Alpine Aquilegia

A European variety that prefers to live in the mountains. The plants are graceful flowering perennials 45 - 60 cm high with drooping bell-shaped flowers in a blue or purple hue. 

Aquilegia canadensis

 The delicate small-flowered bushes of this species are distinguished by their impressive growth and, in optimal conditions, easily reach 90 cm. The plants originate from North America and have long drooping buds, colored orange, pink or salmon with a yellow center. The two-color, long-spurred buds have long, straight spurs.

Aquilegia chrysantha

 Tall bushes reach 60 - 90 cm in height and during the flowering period they form large, bright, golden-yellow buds with long spurs. Flowering occurs earlier - occurs in April - May.

Aquilegia skinneri

Another plant native to Europe, reaches 45 - 60 cm in height. This variety is distinguished by bright, large flowers, painted in red and yellow shades. The buds bear simply huge, straight spurs. 

Aquilegia flabellata, Aquilegia akitensis

The flower is of European origin and has perhaps the smallest dimensions - these dwarf aquilegias do not exceed 20 - 30 cm in height. Flowering occurs only in early summer, when attractive white, blue, light blue, and less often pink buds appear on the bushes. Due to its compact size, it is often grown at home.

Aquilegia sibirica

 These perennials reach 30 - 40 cm in height and during the flowering period they decorate themselves with pink, lilac, light blue or dark blue flowers with contrasting white or yellow petals.

Aquilegia glandulosa

 Compact perennials 20 - 30 cm high with large bell-shaped, drooping flowers on arched peduncles. Flowering occurs in April - May, most often the buds are painted in a rich blue or delicate purple color.

Aquilegia saximontana

 This species prefers to settle high in the mountains and in its natural habitat, plants are often found at an altitude of 3,300 - 4,000 meters above sea level. The plants reach only 25 cm in height and form fairly large white or lilac buds in July - August. 

Aquilegia pyrenaica

 Compact flowering bushes grow up to 30 cm in height and live quite high in the mountains - at an altitude of 1,000 - 2,000 meters. The flowers are blue or lilac, flowering occurs in April - May.

Aquilegia clematiflora

 At first glance, the flowers of this species are indeed not so easy to distinguish from clematis - they have many long, thin and narrow petals, often painted in white, pink or blue shades. With good care and favorable conditions, bushes of this species reach 120 cm in height.

Aquilegia bertolonii

 Compact perennial up to 30 cm high, originates from the Mediterranean. During the flowering period, it decorates itself with plain blue or dark blue buds with long, curved spurs.

Aquilegia nigricans

 The species comes from southwestern Europe and is distinguished by its small size (30 - 45 cm in height) and large bell-shaped flowers of a blue or dark purple hue with curved spurs.

Aquilegia oxysepala catchment

 Perennial plants up to 90 cm high, originating from the Asian region. The species has large, burgundy-yellow buds that contrast perfectly with the openwork, bright green leaves.

Aquilegia longissima

 The height of this American plant can be 45 - 90 cm, and the main distinguishing feature of the species is the presence of straight, very long spurs (about 10 cm in length) on the buds.