How to Grow Columbine, Germinate Seed, Care for
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- Learn all the information you need to grow Columbine Flowers, aka Wild Columbine, aka Eastern Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis. Grow this hardy perennial (USDA zones 3-8) in full sun to shade. Columbine will grow just about anywhere as long as the soil drains well. But in this video I teach you how to germinate columbine seeds, save seeds, identify Columbine, and numerous other tips from pests to diseases and how to avoid them. I also show you just how much Columbines Spread. I hope you like it, and please ask any questions in the comments!
We have a very detailed article on this flower here: growitbuildit.com/columbines-...
You should definitely check out our article for more pics and info on this awesome native flower. Also, you can find other cool species of flowers for your garden at our website.
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I have lived in Tennessee (zone 6) for two years, and I just realized I have a purple-blue Columbine growing in complete shade under my deck! I think it was there last year, too, but I just didn't know what it was. It gets some water through the deck boards, but very limited sun. Now that I know what it is, I will transplant it. Must be a tough plant!
They are tougher than they look! If it's blooming, I would wait to transplant until late summer or fall. Early Spring bloomers are best transplanted very early in Spring, or in late summer/fall.
Watched this video two years ago.
I couldn't find native columbine seeds and started several different cultivars and got a hummingbird visiting them today.
Watching the video again and again looking for native columbine seeds.
Thanks for the video.
You're welcome Barney. Congrats on the hummingbirds
Man, I've read a few of your articles when I'm researching new native flowers, but for some reason I didn't know you had such great videos on CZcams! Thanks for sharing so much information 🙏 Subbed and liking your videos!
Excellent - thank you Bishop! I'm glad you found us.
I transplanted with ❤ 14 full blooming columbine and 8 young columbine this year. All lived, & I have just harvested lots of seed! Variety of color's black, purple, pink, blue. Found them at a community dump site :)
Nice find!
Thanks for that excellent comprehensive video. You covered everything I wanted to know.
Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad I could be of help!
Great video very thorough! I can't wait to grow these in my backyard and collect the seeds
Thank you Holly! It is a really nice flower to grow.
What an absolute delight video. Thank you. Saving this video to my garden playlist 😊
Thank you! I'm very happy you enjoyed it!
Thank you, great video!! Starting some blue this year, around a fountain, your video popped up as I was searching for growing tips.
You are very welcome Renea! I'm glad I could help.
Awesome info! I live in Colorado and the Blue Columbine is our state flower. I will refer to this video when I can go plant some.
Excellent! Those Rocky Mountain Columbines were one of the reasons I got into this kind of gardening in the first place. Then I found the Eastern Red Columbines. Good luck, and thank you for the nice comment sir!
Just ran into your video today and subscribed. Thank you for a great video.
You are very welcome Aims! Glad you found me.
I have a red bud in my yard and love it. Thank you for the information on how to proigate. I will try this out
You are very welcome Dianne!
Good video; nice presentation, informative with no fluff. Much appreciated.
Thank you Steve - that is the style I aim for! Glad you enjoyed it.
This year is the first time I'm collecting my columbine seeds. But it is not the first time I have propagated seeds.
One tip I'd like to add is, a really convenient way to propagate them inside is to take any plastic container (such as a pie tin with a clear plastic top; also many items from grocery stores come in plastic containers) to create a mini-terrarium: Add some soil, dampen it and plant, then cover it with the container's top and leave it in a sunny location. Check on it every few days to make sure it's getting the moisture it needs. Uncover it once the plants begin to leaf and transplant into separate and/or larger containers.
I think that would be a very good method.
Does it flower in the same year?
@Tina-ip5rz usually in year 2
Another one of my favorites! I only have one of these, and I didn't realize they were 2-3 ft tall. Hopefully mine will come back this year and give me a few new ones.
It's all about the conditions - maximize the growing conditions they like, and you will get the largest plants. If you leave seed heads on, then you will definitely get some volunteers.
Great comprehensive information, thank you! So glad to have discovered your channel, you are an inspiring teacher!
Thank you so much for the wonderful compliment! I'm glad you find our work helpful!
One of our favorites! Thanks for sharing :)
You are welcome!
Thanks for the warning about density problems.
You are welcome Liz
I love my columbine and it just pops up everywhere, but did not know what to do with the spent seed pods..now I know. thank you! more excited that I can grow in pots..I wil give this a try..
Excellent - you are going to have so many plants you won't know what to do with them all!
Just found your video! I love columbines and have a few different colors. I wanted to know more about them and how grow more from my own seeds and your videos are so explanatory. Thank you!
Thank you! I'm glad you found the video helpful!
Great video, thanks for the info
Thank you - I'm glad you found it helpful!
Thanks so much for the info!
You are very welcome!
Great video! I grew a flat of these late Winter 2021. The seedlings look delicate, fragile, sensitive....NOT at all! They are tough little buggers. I'm looking for first blooms Spring 2023.
Excellent - you're going to enjoy them Andy.
Every morning the hummingbird comes to visit the Columbine. It’s fun to watch it going from flower to flower. The hummingbird has great biological clock May 1st every year it appears right when Columbine starting to take off. Had one that self seeded in pot which I left and comes back every year in zone 5b. Another grows from under my deck. They are one hardy plant. Deer don’t touch Columbine, but bee balm they devour.
I have the opposite situation. Deer eat Columbine and leave bee Balm alone
Thank you, I will have to plant the Columbine seeds that I bought this spring closer to my house to see any hummingbirds!!
I really needed to find something for the pollinators that tolerates shade. Thanks.
This is probably the easiest full shade tolerant native to grow. Much easier than most of the Spring Ephemerals.
I have had a single Columbine that has somehow lived unattended for several years. It’s in a terrible spot that gets almost no water. It always has looked nice
in spite of that.
I’ve just harvested an incredible number is seeds from it. Next year I’m going to plant a nice patch of it in a good area. I’ll dig up the mother and put her there to.
Thanks for the tutorial.
You are quite welcome Marko. Best of luck to you!
Hey there,I have just come across your video while researching how to collect the seeds of these beautiful flowers..I live in England..This is the first year I have grown them properly,I didn't realise you grow the seeds & the first year you just get the leaves(I let mine die off the first time because they didn't flower how I thought they would,what donut lol)..Anyway this year I actually grew them to there full potential & they flowered,I wasn't expecting them to be as beautiful as they were,when they flowered they were beautiful,but then they flowered properly & they were absolutely stunning,the curves to the flowers are just beautiful..I am hoping I can either collect the seeds or they will self seed,but I need to put them in a bigger tub to make sure I collect them in the soil,instead of loosing them in the grass..
I fed them this year with some blood fish & bone & some chicken manure pellets,I didn't go mad,just a bit & they look amazing,I have fell in love with this flower..just wished I lived in America so I could watch all the little hummingbird..Great video,thankyou for putting in the effort to make the video & share your knowledge,it is greatly appreciated🤘🏻☮🤘🏻☮
Hi - thank you so much for the kind words, and congrats on getting them to flower! These are amazing flowers - their structure and architecture are amazing. They really do put on a beautiful display, and for quite some time! You'll be able to save the seed - no problem. Just watch for the capsules to turn light brown and collect them. The seed just falls right out.
I really hope my columbine is happy in my shade garden!
They should be! It's their natural habitat.
I found columbine over the hill and collected the seeds can’t wait to germinate them n X-ray year! Dark purple and light purple
Congrats and good luck!
Thank you
You are very welcome!
I just germinated Mckana Giants without stratification by seed earlier in July under my awning in Zone 10b. 4 came up and will be potted shortly. They will go in my pollinated patch once it gets cooler!
That is cool that variety could germinate without stratification. I germinated some without when I first got into gardening. But I found that it took a really long time to germinate.
@@growitbuildit Oh, good to know amd yes, it took a long time for them to sprout. I used a container that has cut cardboard papertowel rolls so I could put them direct into a pot now before the true leaves show up. I will need to thin out since learning from you, it's not a good idea to separate them.
Really appreciate the peroxide tip! Haven't needed it yet but I have a lot of shade. Forewarned is forearmed!
I like that saying - thank you.
R these 🐝 loving
Happy to hear someone else using hydrogen peroxide:)
Thanks for the scoop! I bought these 100% based on their beauty, w/o knowing much about them. I have them in a pot on my front steps. I'm in zone 7a. I might just trim them down and let the pot sit over the winter. Ya think that'll be ok?
Hi Thomas, I think that would be fine.
I used to plant the whole pod and have pretty good success.. I get a few new plants every year. Very pretty flowers, hopefully at some point they will overwhelm the weeds in areas that I cannot take care of.
Hi - I think you're probably going to have to give them a helping hand in overwhelming any weeds. One of the reasons Columbine grows on cliffs is because there isn't 'much competition. When other competition is present, they can easily get overwhelmed.
I got storebought plants and just collected seeds from them - mid June in 6b/7a. Can I plant them now, after coldshocking them for a bit? Or should I wait for next year. Thanks for the advice!
Hi Tine, I personally would just wait until next year and Winter sow the seed. But you do have plenty of time to stratify now if you want. I find that they will self seed quite a bit too
This is JUST what I'm looking for. You have so many natives I want. Do you ship to Canada?
You are very welcome. Sorry - but as of now I do not sell plants.
I’ve got my aquilegia seeds planted and cold-stratifying outdoors just now, but am having a hard time keeping them moist with the strong winds we are having. Would having them in an unheated greenhouse/ growing dome help? How do aquilegia seeds/seedlings react to humidity? They seem prone to fungus.
Hi Julie - I strongly recommend you winter sow these seeds. Do the milkjug method I show in this video. It will work. Just scatter them on top of the soil. czcams.com/video/SKXY6dl-5Tk/video.html
What do we do with the past blooms? They are a little unsightly. Can I clip them off after spent and leave the foliage? They are many years old and have self seeded liberally.
You can clip them off. I do it in areas where I don't want "volunteers ". You may get treated to more blooms by doing this too.
I collected some seeds. Do you think that they will grow well within pachysandra?
I think it would be ok from a light requirement and height requirement. I don't have direct experience with Pachysandra. But if it's an expanding ground cover, you may need to keep it in check.
Thank you for the video! I live in Golden, Colorado. My spent columbines have a white powder on them. The leaves seem to have a little bit of powder on them. None of my other plants and flowers are effected. What could it be, and what shall I do about it? I wanted to harvest the seeds. Will they be okay? I purchased the plants at Home Depot and they have done gloriously! Just spectacular. : )
Hi - I wouldn't worry about the powder. It is powdery mildew, and a common problem. But the effects are just cosmetic, they don't kill the plant. You can still save the seeds as normal.
I just found your video. I have seeds stored in the fridge. I want to direct sow. Can I just sprinkle them onto the ground? It’s late March, North Carolina, zone 7 I think. Thanks!
If they were cold stratifying using the paper towel method, you could probably just sprinkle them on the ground. But I'm not sure you would have enough cold evenings left before it got warm for direct sowing.
Mine self seeded. They need light to germinate and in summer I clear out the seed pods and few always fell and emerged in fall. I guess they naturally get a cold weather in fall and sprout. They are very winter hardy. They went through minus 15 C. Also I like them very much for their resistance agast slugs and the weevil larvae do not really like their tap roots and stems. They get the occasional leaf miner but do not get decimated by pests like 90 per cent of my other plants. If they survive the slug onslaught in summer then the beetle larvae finish them.
If I cut back the seed heads right after they bloom is there a chance that the lower leaves may send out more blooms?
Hi Mal - I have done this before (more for preventing self-seeding) but have never seen a second round of blooms.
I have a south/west facing yard so I get almost full sun late morning until evening, so I not have a chance at growing Columbines? They’re my favorite but I’m so scared they’ll just get fried bc the lack of shade I have. I’m located in very southeast Colorado (I’m closer to Kansas and Oklahoma that’s I’d care to admit 😆)
Hi - I grow them in full sun. They will be just fine. Keep them watered if need be.
I have a white origami Columbine, I lost it last year., or the year before.
I finally have 2 baby plants.
I will have to keep the seeds if it flowers next year .
Good luck doing so!
I have leaf miners *all* over my columbine. Should I just ignore them or should I spray with neem oil?
Hi Holly - I would ignore them. They won't hurt the plant. It does take away from the aesthetics a bit, but at the same time the track marks do look kind of cool.
Hi! If I want to harvest the seeds, can I cut them green and allow them to dry or do they have to dry out on the plant? thank you!
I don't harvest seeds until the capsules turn brown. Theoretically, you could do this when green too. If you can wait, then I would wait. The plant is likely still actively transferring nutrients to the seed until the capsule turns brown. I can't tell you for certain if cutting the branches prematurely will harm this process. So, in the interest of "do no harm" I personally wait until the capsule is dry/brown.
@@growitbuildit Thank you for responding, that makes sense! I will wait.
Not tried it with columbine, but with some other flowers. Once the seed heads are turning brown, I tie a small brown paper bag over the seed head, so that the birds do not break it open and steal the seeds. If the seed head does still break open, all the seeds will be at the bottom of the paper bag. Hoping to try growing aquilegia for the first time, this year. They are already planted, but no sign of seedlings yet, as things are still quite cold, here in Cyprus. We had hail yesterday!
How long does it take before you start seeing some seedlings? Like how many days?
If stratified, it could take a few weeks or more before germination. I've done it, it is just a pain to keep moist and not have them dry out. Try to find a place where it can get morning sun for at least 3 or 4 hours. It will be easier to keep them from drying out.
@sheluvschoco I feel like I should add to my comment. Just because I say a few weeks, which is based on my experience, don't throw them out at 3 weeks. Sometimes seeds just take a long time to germinate. Heck, I had a couple Eastern Redbud seeds germinate a week ago that were planted in Mar 2019. So, have patience. If nothing happens after a month of warmer temps, maybe stratify some more seeds and start over. Or, just winter sow or direct sow in the Fall. Good luck!
"Maybe do a little guerilla gardening." I love it!
100%! If it's native, go for it.
Can you transplant them after they’ve flowered and gone to seed?
I haven't personally, but if the seed capsules are brown/dry, then you probably could. Just try to keep as much soil attached to the roots, keep it in the shade for a few days (put a chair over it), and keep it watered.
Do you have a recommendation for the kind of soil to have the plant in?
Hi Ashley - if you look to where they grow in nature, it is generally humus or well-draining forest soil. But I've been growing them in heavily compacted sand-loam for several years. So, I believe that they can grow in almost any soil. Right now I've got them in heavily compacted silt, sandy-loam, and in the forest behind my house. To answer your question briefly - just go for it.
@@growitbuildit Awesome thank you!
Does it normally bloom first year from seed for you?
Hi, typically it does not. At least, I've not seen it bloom the first year. The first year is generally dedicated to developing a significant root stock. I've had Asters, Ironweed Echinacea, and some others bloom in the first year - but not Columbine.
If you were looking to start a patch, my advice would be to grow at least 6 plants the first year, and space them about 2' apart. Then, the second year you will be treated to a nice display. The 3rd year, you will have dozens of volunteers that you can transplant around your area or share.
Very nice video, but just one question, where does the name
Come from?
I honestly don't know that, and although I can find some references online - "Due to the inverted flower’s similarity to the five doves grouped, columbine originates from the Latin for dove." www.pansymaiden.com/flowers/meaning/columbine/
Can they live on full sun and can it tolerate heat
Hi - mine do exactly that. They do better if they get shade from time to time, but I have plenty of plants that are pretty much totally exposed for 9-10 hours per day. Just pay attention to them - if you see the ends of the leaves getting crispy, they need water.
My daughter dug up the Columbine they had and gave it to me. I planted it and watered very well, but the seed pods were already emptied before she gave it to me. In order for it to come back next year, is it necessary for those seeds to be here or are the roots good enough for it to come back next year?
Hi Diana - they are perennial. So if the plant is still alive through the fall it should return in the Spring.
@@growitbuildit Thank-you so much! Gives me some hope for it. The heat is really making it look wilty today though. I may have to give it a second helping of water this evening.
Water and shade. Place a chair over it for a few days.
My columbine got what I think is leafminer. Any suggestions?
I wouldn't do anything Shauna. They will do a bit of cosmetic damage, but that is all. Eventually it will probably get eaten by another bug.
Well I think I killed at least 2 out of 3 that I transplanted.. I did it in late spring and they had leaves but dried out exept for 1 it gave me 2 flowers and now nothing! It's late June 😔 is there any hope?
Oh no! If there isn't any foliage left that may mean they are dead or eaten by rabbits. Are there seed pods/capsules? Did they just dry out?
You may need to try again next year. If in a mulched flower bed, scattering seed in the fall will likely give you seedlings in the Spring.
They don't like their leaves wet, mine look nasty now. Its been super hot and very dry. I been babying these for over a year.
I find they do well in full sun, as long as competition isn't too much. A few of mine have been hit with leaf-miners, but the foliage still looks ok.
When you put them in a pot, do you leave the pot outside in winter? I'm in zone 5.
I'm in zone 6, and yes they are outside. And all are alive. If you are worried, you can move them to a unheated garage or shed for the winter when it is dormant.
I'm zone 5 as well and columbine grows here in the ground. I just bought some beautiful purple and white blooms. Can't wait to get them in the ground too.
You will love them Joan
How do you keep the seeds healthy if you're not ready to sow?
Hi Lori - you can store dried seed in a ziplock bag. You could also put it in the fridge in the baggy to help maintain viability.
Also doesn't bloom until 2nd year
Correct
Is there a group that trades seeds?
There is a large number of Facebook groups that trade seeds. Just search for "Seed Swap" or Seed sharing. Try to make sure it is in your country/region, as it is often illegal to send seeds across international borders.
At first I was collecting seeds from the flowers. Now I am finding out that the seeds are in the pods. What are the seeds inside the spent flowers? First time collecting seeds here by the way. Confused.
The flower changes into a capsule that contains many seeds. They will be dark and black.
But what are the seeds inside the flower petals? When the actual flower starts to fall, there are tiny brown seeds inside. I have been collecting them. They remind me of dandelion seeds. What are they?
Pretty sure what you are referring to is the stamens
@@growitbuildit Yes. those yellow stamens turn into what looks exactly like seeds that are attached to what looks like the end of a dandelion seed. I am going to put them on a wet paper towel & see what happens. They so look like seeds. I know now the seeds are in the pods, but why do these look exactly like seeds?
How long is the germination of Columbine seeds?
Hi Paula - It has been a long time since I germinated seed from stratifying in the fridge. But from what I remember it took around 2-3 weeks after a 30-day stratification.
@@growitbuildit I purchased my seeds online. This stratification, is it where you put newly fallen seeds on the fridge it imitate a cold spell? Or just what is it, I've not heard that term before. It wouldn't be required of seeds purchased online would it?
I've heard of people buying 'pre-stratified' seeds online, but I have personally never seen them. I would stratify or winter-sow any Columbine seed I found online unless the company or packet explicitly said it was pre-stratified.
In the video @ czcams.com/video/AhXeBLHX5D8/video.html I talk about stratification. You simulate the winter, and would use a paper towel + zip-lock bag in the fridge. I actually have a video showing how to do that. czcams.com/video/JIgYeduDiM4/video.html
can it grow in full shade
Hi Traci - yes, it can. It may not bloom as much, but I've encountered it in nearly full canopy in Shenandoah.
Thank you
hydrogen peroxide, great tip!
It works well - just keep it diluted.
Mine is the size of my palm right now and I’m terrified I’m gonna lose it :(
If you planted it in conditions it likes, you will be good to go! Just keep the rabbits off of it. That is the biggest threat in my experience.
I always thought seeds should be kept in paper bags never plastic bags ?
Hi Lina. It depends. Some seeds do best in a breathable medium in a cool dry area. Others need to go into a ziplock bag in the fridge right away. Over the years I've stored most of my seeds in ziplock baggies after thoroughly drying them out. I've only had issues when I didn't refrigerate seeds that needed it. Or seeds just getting too old in general.
I freeze my seeds in the freezer
does that do any harm?
@@cindyshaw69 no, LOTS of seeds NEED to b o through a winter to sprout
You know I've watched 3 videos on how to start these seeds and no one has given a thorough explanation.
Dam it ! You glossed over the refridgeration part. I'm seriously wasting my time here.
Hi Helena, Cold stratification is a process, or pretreatment that needs to be done on many different species. It isn't unique to Columbine, but just a general process to break a seeds dormancy. You will encounter this in many species if you start growing native flowers from seed. I have a detailed video on how to cold stratify seeds in the fridge which is located in the cards if you click in the top right. But here is the link - czcams.com/video/JIgYeduDiM4/video.html
I suggest you use a paper towel as I show in the video.
I don't go into stratification detail in this video, as it would add at least several minutes. And I would have to repeat this on many different species that I make videos on. So, for those unfamiliar with the process, I give a link to a detailed description and how to apply it.