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Herbaceous Perennial

Aquilegia skinneri
  • RHS Plants for pollinators

Mexican columbine

A herbaceous perennial, up to 1m high, with blue-green leaves and nodding flowers in summer which have green-yellow sepals and petals with yellow-orange skirts and long, bright red spurs

Other common names
Skinner's columbine
Synonyms
Aquilegia mexicana
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Size
Ultimate height
0.5–1 metres
Time to ultimate height
2–5 years
Ultimate spread
0.1–0.5 metres
Growing conditions
Chalk
Loam
Sand
Moisture
Moist but well–drained
pH
Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Colour & scent
StemFlowerFoliageFruit
Spring Green Blue
Summer Green Orange Red Yellow Green Blue
Autumn Green Blue
Winter
Position
  • Full sun
Aspect

South–facing or West–facing or East–facing

Exposure
Sheltered
Hardiness
H4
Botanical 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

Correct

Plant range
Mexico

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in free-draining soil in sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed or by division in spring

Suggested planting locations and garden types
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Patio and container plants
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • Wildlife gardens
  • Cut flowers
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Underplanting of roses and shrubs
Pruning

No pruning required, but deadheading can encourage repeat-flowering

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids and leaf-miners

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and aquilegia downy mildew

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