Columbine aquilegia are bell-shaped flowers.The growing season of the genus Aquilegia is from early spring to early summer. The new plants of columbines bloom with their attractive dark green foliage and yellow, pink, and blue petals in the well-drained soil of North America.Columbine is the official state flower of Colorado. They have claw-like spurs and are found in most household gardens of Colorado, which have good drainage and are not under full sun, thus requiring partial shade.Rocky Mountain columbine grows in the rock gardens having loamy soil, and the wildflowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Being the state flowers, they are protected by the rocky mountain branch of the U.S. Forest Service, which looks over eleven national forests, including Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.The Columbine Plant ClassificationThere are various varieties of columbine flowers which include blue-colored Aquilegia alpine, dark purple-colored Aquilegia atrata, Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea) containing white petals, violet-blue spurs, and yellow sepals, granny’s bonnet (or Aquilegia vulgaris), pink-colored (Aquilegia mckana), and others!Columbine flowers belong to the kingdom Plantae.Columbine flowers additionally belong to the phylum Tracheophyta.Their class is Angiosperms (these are vascular plants with seeds developing inside fruits), and their order in Ranunculales.Their family is Ranunculaceae, and their genus is Aquilegia.The species name is A. Canadensis.Thus the scientific name of columbine flowers can be Aquilegia canadensis. There are 60-70 varieties of columbine flowers. Their genus is more or less the same, but the species names will change depending on the variety.Columbine is usually transplanted in early spring. It is because it gives them enough time to adjust to their new home.Physical Features Of The Columbine FlowerColumbine flowers symbolize wisdom and peace. These flowers are linked to Christianity as they look like doves nestling together. They grow in the garden spots of Colorado, and the foliage blooms into pretty flowers. Thus, they are considered the state flower of Colorado.Even though the flowers look fragile and delicate, they are extremely hardy and resistant to breakage. They are even resistant to herbivores like deer.Columbine flowers have five petals, and the flower is bell-shaped.Their sepals and petals are brightly colored to attract insects for pollination.The petal looks like pouches that store nectar which the pollinators can feed on.The flower is red with touches of yellow and is pollinated by hummingbirds.The columbine plants have compound leaves which are notched and round.The columbine flowers can be erect or bent in posture.The sepals can be straight, spreading, perpendicular, or reflexed with respect to the floral axis.They have long spurs, and the wildflowers blossoms into exotic foliage.The plant is highly toxic in nature.How to care for the columbine flower?Columbines bloom in cooler climates, but they do not prefer the winter as the soils are mostly covered in snow. Even though they look delicate, they can be easily grown in the garden and do not require much care. This plant blooms in well-watered soil with the help of regular watering and frequent application of water-soluble fertilizers and pesticides to protect its lush foliage.Columbine flowers grow well from seed.The seed can be sown from mid-spring to mid-summer.The ground in which the plant is grown must be well-drained and not dry. It is preferable if the soil is slightly acidic.Columbine plants do not like to be exposed to direct sun, and that might have an impact on the bright-colored petals of the columbine flowers. So it is better to grow them in partial shadow to prevent direct sunlight.The plants must be kept moist unless roots have started developing and the state flower has become established.Fertilizers must be provided to the soil frequently. The fertilizers should be water-soluble to aid in easy absorption by the roots.Deadheading refers to the process where you remove the dead or faded flowers from a plant. This improves the performance of the plant and maintains the plants’ appearance. Regular deadheading in new species encourages the regular blooming of the plant.If the plant gets infected with pests like leaf miners or powdery mildew, you can use pesticides to remove them. Organically one can also use neem oil to prevent and remove pest infection from this state flower.When does the columbine flower bloom?Garden columbine blooms from mid-spring to mid-summer, avoiding the harsh cold of the winter. It actually takes two years for the flowers to bloom after the seed has been sown. The plants can be grown from seeds as well as from bulbs. They will also require access to pollinators to grow them over the year. They are perennial plants.Columbine flowers do not bloom until the second year of sowing their seed.The columbines bloom time is Spring to Summer.You can sow the seeds six to eight weeks before the last expected Frost else you can directly sow the seeds into the soil.If you wish to plant bare-root, you should dig a deep hole so that the fleshy roots can reach deep into the soil. You will also have to make sure the rhizome is 1 in (2.5 cm) below the soil.There is no need to cover the seeds. Just gently pressing them on the surface will ensure proper germination.The seeds should be sown at least 1-2 ft (0.3-0.6 m) apart from each other to ensure that there is no competition among the growing plantlings for resources and that all the seeds germinate into plants.With regular watering and application of fertilizers, the bloom season can be extended up to six weeks into mid-summer.If the soil becomes frozen, it is necessary to mulch it to allow the plants to grow.Unless the plants are growing in extremely rich soil, there is no need for stacking.After the flowers have bloomed, you can prune the stalks of the flowers to give the tree a shape. You can even cut off one-third of the height of the tree. This will accelerate the blooming of new leaves from the base, and the plant will flower throughout summer.Columbian plants tend to interbreed, so the seeds are most likely not true varieties.The Columbine bulbs are usually planted in areas that have enough sunlight and soil that is well-drained.
Columbine aquilegia are bell-shaped flowers.
