Other Names:  Wild Columbine, Granny's Bonnet

Group/Class:  Earlybird™ Series

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

Showy, purple nodding flowers with steel blue centers on slender stems with long, graceful spurs; makes for long lasting cut flowers; controlled habit with short stems on well mounded plants; good for naturalizing partially shaded areas

Ornamental Features

Earlybird™ Purple and Blue Columbine features bold nodding purple bell-shaped flowers with steel blue overtones and purple spurs at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny compound leaves remain green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Earlybird™ Purple and Blue Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Earlybird™ Purple and Blue Columbine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Earlybird™ Purple and Blue Columbine will grow to be about 9 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant performs well in both full sun and full shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Earlybird™ Purple and Blue Columbine is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.