Aquilegia Songbird Series

RHS Plant Profile
columbine Songbird Series

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columbine Songbird Series RHS 1999

Synonyms

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Songbird'

Plants for pollinators
Herbaceous Perennial

Songbird Series are bushy, compact plants to 50cm tall, with straight-spurred, upward-facing flowers in shades of blue, red or yellow, often with contrasting white petals

Position

Full sun, Partial shade

Soil Types

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

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

Position

Full sun Partial shade
Aspect
South–facing or East–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
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

Propagation

Propagate by seed sown in spring, late summer or early autumn

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Cottage and informal garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs

Pruning

Cut back after flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew