How to Grow Aquilegias From Seed

Sow Granny's Bonnets in the Garden and They'll Self-Seed for Years

Sep 8, 2009

Columbine flowers are weird and wonderful additions to the herbaceous border. Aquilegias look exotic but they're incredibly easy to raise from seed - and are fully hardy.

There’s a lot to be said for the single-flowered forms of aquilegia, with their often bicoloured blooms and dangling spurs that look like streamers frozen in mid-gale. They’re members of the buttercup family, although the casual observer would be hard-pressed to know that by looking at them. Even the leaves don’t give anything away, although they too are highly ornamental – finely divided and fern-like – and come in all manner of colours, from rich yellow though lime green to rich purple, depending on variety. But the double-flowered types are something else again. Some are pompon, others are a random arrangement of ruffs, but all are worthy of a closer inspection.

Best Aquilegia From Seed

A multitude of seed mixtures is available from seed merchants but one of the best for the amateur aquilegia grower is ‘Crown Jewels Mixed’, a value-for-money selection of the finest double and single aquilegias from Thompson and Morgan. Some have spurs, some don’t, but all provide a taste of what these plants, commonly called ‘granny’s bonnet’, can do for the garden.

The height of plants in the mixture will vary – expect anything from 18in. (45cm) to 36in. (90cm). Individual plants can be dotted here and there, among other perennials in the herbaceous border, but they’ll look better planted in groups of three or five, or even in larger numbers, where their mixed colours (both flowers and leaves) will pack more of a punch.

Aquilegia Plants

‘Crown Jewels Mixed’ will flower from May to early July once plants are established, a little longer if the flowers are removed before they’re able to set seed. Then again, aquilegias are prolific self-seeders, so it might be worth allowing a few plants to scatter their progeny in the immediate vicinity and carefully pot up new seedlings the following spring.

Aquilegia Varieties

Alternatively, thumb through some specialist seed catalogues and pick out some new varieties to try. One of the most popular is ‘Nora Barlow’, named after the granddaughter of naturalist Charles Darwin. She’s a delightful double pompon, with pale green and red spiky petals held above rich green leaves – deemed good enough by the Royal Horticultural Society to be awarded an Award of Garden Merit.

How to Sow Aquilegia Seed

Sow from February to June or September to October on the surface of lightly firmed, moist seed compost in pots or trays. Do not cover the seed. Seal the container inside a clear polythene bag and keep at a temperature of between 15-20°C (59-68°F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination.

Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination can take up to three months. When large enough to handle, transplant seedlings into 3in. (7.5cm) pots or trays. Plant out once plants are well grown, 9-12in. (23-30cm) apart.

The copyright of the article How to Grow Aquilegias From Seed in Perennial Plants is owned by Robert Keenan. Permission to republish How to Grow Aquilegias From Seed in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.