Aquilegia fragrans

RHS Plant Profile
sweet-scented columbine

Save a plant

Where do you want to save Aquilegia fragrans?

Plants I own
Wishlist
Go to My Plants
sweet-scented columbine visionspictures.com

Synonyms

Aquilegia glauca

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial
Buy this from Plant Nurseries
1 Suppliers

An upright perennial to around 40cm high, with deeply lobed and divided blue-green basal leaves. Slender stems bear scented, nodding flowers high above the foliage in spring; flowers have white spurs and sepals sometimes flushed with pale purple, and cream or pale yellow inner petals

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.1-0.5 metres

Max Spread

0.1-0.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
0.1-0.5 metres
Max Height
0.1-0.5 metres

Growing Conditions

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
East–facing or South–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

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Ranunculaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
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
Correct

How to Grow

Cultivation

Thrives in rich, fertile, consistently moist soil in sun or part shade; dislikes heavy clay. See aquilegia cultivation for more detailed advice

Propagation

Propagate by seed, though self-seeded plants 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
  • Patio and container plants
  • Wildflower meadow
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Cut foliage back to the ground as it fades

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, aquilegia gall midge, aquilegia sawfly and caterpillars

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew