Wildflowers UK, bringing the British Countryside to you.

Perfect for pollinators

Columbine -aquilega vulgaris– grows best in shaded woodland settings and in the wild has a preference for light alkaline soils. In gardens however, it can also be grown in sunny flower borders as well as in shade. Columbine or aquilegia may already be a familiar plant to many gardeners and use of cultivated forms is common in gardens. The wild form is normally more intense blue in colour, although white and pink forms can still occur. Flowers appear from May to July, providing a valuable source of pollen and nectar for insects such bees. Columbine looks best when grown alongside other woodland plants such as Primroses, Bluebells, Greater Stitchwort, Wood anemones and Red Campion.

How to grow Columbine Seeds
Columbine seeds should be sown in spring or autumn, either outside, where they are to flower, or in seed trays and covered lightly with compost. Columbine seeds are usually easy to germinate and the seedlings, which are quick to develop, can be pricked out and grown on, for planting out later in the year.

RHS Perfect for Pollinators.
The RHS Perfect for Pollinators mark is only given to plants that support pollinating insects in gardens. Bees, butterflies, moths, hoverflies and many others visit flowers to feed on nectar and pollen; while doing so they transfer pollen and increase seed set
and fruit development. Find out more at: rhs.org.uk/plants

To discover more plants for Bees, simply enter the word "pollinators" into the search box above.


To buy Columbine seeds
To purchase Columbine seeds please select a quantity above and click add to cart. To ensure the best chance of success, we sell all of our wildflower seeds by weight, which ensures each wildflower seed packet contains a good quantity of seeds. The recommended sowing rate is 1 gram per square metre, and the number of Columbine seeds per gram is approx. 500. All of our Wildflower seed packets contain seeds of Native British provenance.


Summary
type - perennial,
colour - White or Cream/Blue,
height - 25 to 50cms,
flowers May, June, July,
habitat - Deep Shade (Dense Woodlaand, Chalk and Limestone Grassland,
Attracts Butterflies and bees