Description

Columbine is one of the most beautiful, graceful, and diverse flowers, coming in a wide spectrum of colors from pink, yellow, white, orange, and red, to less common colors like blue, black, green and brown. The blooms also vary in form, including cute frilly petals that look like ladies petticoats, clematis-like flowers, and long spurs resembling fairy hats. There are also varieties with variegated leaves.

This mix includes seeds from various farms we’ve visited from California to Washington. I’ve become a columbine enthusiast because the seeds are so easy to collect and the plants easy to grow. Whenever I see a columbine that I don’t have yet, I ask permission to save the seeds to add to my mix. I’ve also collected wild columbine seeds (here in Oregon, they’re a bright orange color). My newest addition are columbines with variegated yellow/green leaves and green flowers.

As they grow in the wild, columbine can withstand a bit of deer browse. Most of my columbines are planted outside of the fence, and deer do nibble on the leaves in the fall and spring, but they manage to bounce back.

Details

Lifecycle: Perennial
Lifespan: 3 – 5 years
Hardiness zones: 3 – 9 (USDA)
Habitats: Shady woodland and borders
Plant size: 1 – 3 feet tall
Light: Part shade preferred
Soil: Moist
Water: Moderate
Seeds per packet: 50 seeds

Seed Starting

Sow seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost. Lightly cover seeds or press them into the soil to keep them in place. Transplant to 4″ pots when first true leaves appear. Harden off and plant about 1 foot apart.

Cultivation

Harvest

Cut stems when flowers are half open. Deadhead faded flowers to encourage more blooms.

Propagation

Columbine propagate primarily by seeds and self seeds readily. Allow the plant to form seed pods and do not remove seed stalks until they’re completely dried and seeds have dropped to the ground.

Seed Saving

Wait until the seed pods have dried and turned brown (green pods will mold if harvested too early). Similar to threshing poppies, columbine seeds pour out of the pods very easily. The seeds are shiny and black and easy to identify. Cut the entire dried seed stalk and place them upside down into a bucket. Remove the empty pod cases and screen further if needed.