Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White

$58.00

Pet Safe:Yes
Care Level:I'm Easy

Columbine Earlybird™ Blue White (Aquilegia x hybrida) looks like a vintage china plate with her delicate white and blue petals. Her unusual shape makes the garden posse stop and gander. Even the pollinators investigate her beauty and delicious nectar. She has compact growth and only grows 12 inches tall, so she'll nicely tuck in between other low-growing perennials at the border's edge. If you have issues with deer and rabbit, she doesn't! She also self-seeds, so give her room to scatter if you want more!

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About Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White

This princess reminds us of the blue and white china set our grandmothers got out for special occasions. Her blue and white petals are centered by the yellow stamens that jet out, giving her an exclamation mark on where her pollen is to the butterflies! She blooms in at least 5 hours of direct sunlight (preferably afternoon shade). Give her consistent water in well-draining soil.

Easy for beginners

Safe for pets

Eastern Europe and Central Asia

Columbine hails as the state flower of Colorado Columbine flowers represent steadiness and determination, resolve and overcoming obstacles! Columbines have a sweet taste and are edible. Native Americans used Columbines for medicinal purposes, including relieving heart problems and fevers.

Great For People Who…

Great for people who are on the go and need low maintenance plants
Great for people who love flowering plants
Great for people who love the color purple
Great for people who like outdoor activities

Great For Spaces That…

Great for space with room for a grouping of plants
Great for spaces that have need lush decor
Great for spaces that have full sun
Great for spaces that need a pop of color

Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White Care Guide

LightHigh

This plant likes full sun (6-8 hours) to part sun (4-6 hours).
WaterMedium

Keep your plant in consistently moist soil to establish the roots letting water penetrate 1 foot down into the soil.
HumidityMedium

Average humidity is good for this plant.
Temperature 65 to 75

Columbine are an early spring perennial and will last several weeks. After blooming, deadhead the flowers and a second flush will follow.
Hardiness Zones3|4|5|6|7|8|9

This plant is hardy down to -13°F and appreciates mulch around its roots in the winter.
FertilizingYearly

Fertilize in the early spring at the first sign of foliage with an organic granular fertilizer high in phosphorus to promote blooms around the plant's dripline (being careful not to touch the leaves). Scratch the surface around the plant being careful not to disrupt their delicate roots. Sprinkle the fertilizer and then cover back up the area with a layer of compost and mulch. Water in well.
Re-pottingRarely

To transplant into a garden bed, water your plant the night before. When planting your columbine, ensure the soil is well-draining. Add soil amendments like compost to lighten it. Dig the hole twice as wide as the grower pot and the same depth (not deeper). Remove the plant from the grower pot and center in the hole. Add rooting hormone around the base of the roots. Water in the hole before covering with soil and let drain. Then add organic compost mixed with your native soil and fill around the plant and up to the top of its soil line. Tamp down with your hands to remove any air pockets. Water again around the drip line, then mulch up to the plant's drip line to help retain moisture. Keep her soil moist as she gets established.
CleaningAs needed

Once this plant has had her first flush of blooms, cut the plant to the ground. This trim will create an encore of blooms and help alleviate leaf minors that often inflict the leaves.
PropagationSeeds

After the blooms fade, select a few dried seed pods off the plant and shake the black seeds inside the pods into a bowl. Let these dry on a paper towel for a few days. Place in an envelope and keep in cold temps at least 40°F for six weeks. Sow seeds in trays with seed sowing mix at a 6.0 pH and scatter over the moistened soil. Press down lightly but do not cover them since they need light to germinate. Keep the temps around them at 70°F-75°F. Spritz or water the seeds every couple of days, depending on evaporation rates, to keep them consistently moist. Keep them under a bright grower light to initiate germination. Once cotyledons pop up in 9-12 days, let them dry out a bit and transfer them to a slightly bigger container. Begin to fertilize with an organic fertilizer. Once they fully develop, set them out in the garden beds. **Note: These plants will bloom in the second year of planting.