Aquilega vulgaris Green Apples - Colombine

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Green Apples', also known as Hybrid Columbine or Aquilegia clematiflora 'Green Apples', is a perennial herbaceous, very hardy, as easy to grow as a wild columbine. It blooms from spring to the gates of summer, with its cones successively taking on the green hue of sour apples when they appear, then creamy white before finally surrounded by pure white. This touching and unpretentious plant is really easy to grow in any soil; it requires no special care and easily naturalises in rockeries and borders.

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Green Apples' belongs to the family of buttercups. It is a cultivar derived from Aquilegia vulgaris (or clematiflora), native to Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia, where it grows in clearings, meadows, and clear-cut areas of deciduous woods. It is a very hardy herbaceous perennial, forming an upright clump, 40 cm (15.7 in) tall and 30 cm (11.8 in) wide, very leafy, from which long floral stems branch upwards. From May to June, charming single flowers rise to 60 cm (23.6 in) on top of the stems. They have long horned spurs, with the corollas evolving in color from light green to pure white, passing through cream. Its deciduous bluish-green foliage is quite decorative, and the cut leaves at the base give a sense of lightness.

Columbines were already cultivated in the flower beds of the Middle Ages, and the curate gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and discreet, they are essential in mixed borders, where they bring lightness and whimsy. They can be planted in many different places in the garden, taking care to leave a space of 20 cm (7.9 in) around each plant: in the middle of a perennial bed, in a border, at the base of bushes, on the edge of wooded areas, on a slope. They will look magnificent planted in groups to create a dense clump. Don't hesitate to pick them when they are just opening for beautiful country bouquets. In flower beds, in a "curate garden" style, 'Green Apples' can be associated with all kinds of perennials, such as Foxgloves, Bleeding Hearts, or Peach-leaved Bellflowers.