Aquilegia 'Chaffinch' (Songbird Series)
columbine 'Chaffinch'
A vigorous but compact, short-lived perennial with mid-green, divided leaves. Long-spurred, upward-facing flowers, 4-5cm across, with soft yellow inner petals and light rose pink outer petals and spurs, appear in late spring and early summer
Size
Ultimate height
0.1–0.5 metresTime to ultimate height
2–5 yearsUltimate spread
0.1–0.5 metresGrowing conditions
Moisture
Moist but well–drainedpH
Acid, Alkaline, NeutralColour & scent
| Stem | Flower | Foliage | Fruit | |
| Spring | Pink Yellow | Green | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | Pink Yellow | Green | ||
| Autumn | Green | |||
| Winter |
Position
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing or North–facing or East–facing
Exposure
Sheltered Hardiness
H5Botanical details
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Native to the UK
- No
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Genus
Aquilegia are clump-forming herbaceous perennials with long-stalked, ternately divided basal leaves and erect, leafy stems bearing bell-shaped flowers with spreading, coloured sepals and petals with spurs, on branched stems
- Name status
Accepted
How to grow
Cultivation
Grow in fertile, moist but well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade. See aquilegia cultivation
Propagation
Propagate by seed; home-saved seed may not come true. Established plants can also be propagated by division in spring, but they dislike root disturbance and will be slow to recover
Suggested planting locations and garden types
- Cottage and informal garden
- Flower borders and beds
- Cut flowers
Pruning
To encourage more flowers (and prevent self-seeding) deadhead regularly. Cut back foliage after flowering to promote fresh growth in late summer
Pests
May be susceptible to aphids, caterpillars, leaf miners, aquilegia gall midge and aquilegia sawfly
Diseases
May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew
Get involved
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