Plant Type

Perennial

 

Height Range

1-3'

 

Flower Color

Yellow

 

Flower Season

Spring

 

Leaf Color

Green

 

Bark Color

n/a

 

Fruit Color

n/a

 

Fruit Season

n/a

Sun

Full, Half, Shade

 

Water

Medium, High

 

Growth Rate

Moderate

 

Soil Type

Sandy, Clay, Loam, Rocky, Unparticular

 

Soil Condition

Average, Rich, Well-drained, Moist, Dry

 

Soil pH

Acid, Neutral, Basic

 

Adverse Factors

n/a

Design Styles

English Cottage, Meadow, Ranch, Woodland

 

Accenting Features

Showy Flowers

 

Seasonal Interest

Spring

 

Location Uses

Entry, Perennial Border, Patio, Raised Planter, Walkways, With Rocks

 

Special Uses

Container, Cut Flowers, Filler, Mass Planting, Naturalizing, Small Spaces

 

Attracts Wildlife

Hummingbirds

Native to the canyons of the Southwest, this is one of the most widely adapted of all columbines. A vigorous grower, it combines excellent heat tolerance and mildew resistance with a long display of fragrant yellow flowers in late spring. Flowers are a cheery, bright yellow and bloom in late spring, though they will rebloom if deadheaded. Foliage is blue-green and deeply lobed. With flowers, plants stand at about 30 to 36 inches tall and 18 inches wide.

Grow in well drained, loamy soil in full sun to full shade, though will need more water in full sun situations. Deadheading will usually prolong the bloom season, and as they make lovely cut flowers, snip them off and tuck them in a vase while they are still fresh. Generally, columbine go dormant during the hottest part of the summer; they are also usually a short-lived perennial but are generous reseeders if planted where they are content. Hardy to USDA Zone 3. During blooming, they appreciate regular watering, but as they go dormant, reduce the frequency of irrigation.