Aquilegia flabellata

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fan-leaved columbine

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Synonyms

Aquilegia akitensis

Award of Garden MeritPlants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

A vigorous perennial to 40cm high, with glaucous green leaves divided into lobed leaflets. Produces upright flowering stems in early summer, bearing one or two nodding, lilac blue flowers with white petal tips

Position

Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
1–2 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Clay Loam Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Bushy, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful
Sap may irritate skin. Wear gloves and other protective equipment when handling
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
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in a lightly shaded spot, in moist, fertile soil that doesn't dry out. Resents root disturbance

Propagation

Propagate by seed, sown in containers in a cold frame as soon as ripe

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Gravel garden
  • Patio and container plants
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Remove faded flower stems to prevent self-seeding

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, leaf miners, sawflies and caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews