Aquilegia – Varieties compared

A high alpine meadow plant from the slopes of the Swiss Alps. It has long been prized in gardens for its large blooms of vibrant violet-blue on nodding pedicels. The young leaves are flushed with a purple tinge. 50cm. May to June.

Aquilegia vulgaris ‘Nivea’ (‘Munstead White’) has large pure-white, gracefully nodding bonnets, each 4cm wide are borne on leafy stems 80cm high in great profusion. Often tipped with green on ageing, the spurs are short and slightly curled. The attractive divided foliage forms a basal clump of fresh apple-green, leafing up early in Spring to make a lovely foil for bulbs and early Primroses in the garden. They start pushing up flowering stems as early as April and go on producing asequence of blooms until early June. They are deep rooted plants which seek water well and are therefore tolerant of dry shady conditions as well as full sun. The pure white blooms really lighten up a shady spot and look wondeful with cool greens and ferns. Although ‘Munstead White’ grows true from seed collected from isolated plants, Aquilegias are highly promiscuous members of the Ranunculaceae and will take any opportunity to mix their genes with their kin producing seedlings of a wide range of colours and spur lengths.

Aquilegia vulgaris Vervaeneana Group (Woodside Group) is a lovely group of columbines that all posses leaves that are more or less mottled with yellow on the leaves. Some are entirely golden whilst others are blotched and splashed like army camouflage. The mostly golden leaved forms tend to a white flower, of typical grannies bonnet form, whilst the darker leave scan carry flowers of pink. The foliage is early to appear and they are lovely to add another tone along with the Spring bulbs or to lighten a shadier corner.

A variation on and old cottage garden classic. Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ( A. clematidiflora ) is the root of all of those double flowered forms that you find under the ‘Barlow’ banner. It is a lovely thing, having quite flat flowers, lacking the usual Aquilegia spurs, and having more than a passing resemblance to a clematis. The stems are tall and all the pale fleshy-pink flowers look down so that you look on teh backs of the flowers. easy and well worth squeezing into a mixed bed. Will freely seed about in any well drained soil and cheer any planting in late spring with its wonderful array of pastel flesh pink blooms. Any soil that is not too wet. full sun. 60cm HARMFUL IF EATEN

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Ruby Port’ is a fitting name for this richly claret coloured, very double. Spurless Aquilegia. A tall elegant variety with strong stems. 60-90cm

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Blue Barlow’ (Barlow Series) is one of the spur-less Barlow series based around the plant originally found in the garden of Nora Barlow. This form has flowers that are a violet-blue. Would look good in a mixed cottagey border, hanging above paler mounds of flowers. Best in light shade. HARMFUL IF EATEN

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘White Barlow’ (Barlow Series). One of the spur-less Barlow series based around the plant originally found in the garden of Nora Barlow. This form has flowers that are a fully double, white with green tips. Would look good in a mixed cottagey border, hanging above paler mounds of flowers. 80cm. May-July. Best in light shade. HARMFUL IF EATEN

Aquilegia vulgaris var. stellata ‘Greenapples’ (Lemon Sorbet) is a beautiful form of Aquilegia clematiflora with exquisitely shaped, completely spurless flowers reminiscent of its name-sake. The flowers are shaded green in bud and retain green tips when open pure white. The leaves are fresh apple-green and erupt as early as February making a lovely foil for Spring flowers. 60cm

Aquilegia ‘Petticoat Pink’ has a really tightly double flower with more than a passing resemblance to a pair of vintage frilly tennis knickers. The colouring shades from a rich cerise at the spurs to a clean white at the face of the flower. 60cm tall.

Beautiful bronze tinted, divided foliage forms early in Spring and compliments Spring bulbs. Semiaquilegia ecalcarata is a rare Far-eastern relative of the Aquliega is short, compact at only 40cm high, with graceful nodding spur-less flowers in a lovely shade of deep violet in late Spring and early Summer. At home in bright woodland in China, this aquilega makes a charming addition to a rockery, front of the border or shady bed. easy to grow but make sure the crown is not over crowded by its neighbours.