Tequila Sunrise Columbine - Aquilegia skinneri seeds

The Aquilegia skinneri Tequila Sunrise, a beautiful descendant of a columbine native to the wooded mountains of Mexico (New Mexico), is a very old variety, little known to French gardeners. Its major asset is a very long flowering period with an exotic appearance, lasting from June to September. Its elongated flowers, equipped with very long spurs, blend yellow and bright red-orange, tempered by fern-like foliage. This plant quickly forms beautiful clumps, bringing a lot of dynamism and cheerfulness to the garden. It easily naturalizes in rockeries and semi-shaded borders, in moist soil.

The Aquilegia skinneri Tequila Sunrise belongs to the buttercup family. It is a very hardy herbaceous perennial that forms an erect clump, reaching 50 cm (19.7 in) in height and 40 cm (15.7 in) in width, very leafy, from which long flowering stems branch upwards. From May-June to September, stems rise up to 60 cm (23.6 in) from the ground, on top of which astonishing single flowers bloom facing downwards. They are light, slender, with very long horned spurs of 5 cm (2 in) in bright red-pink-salmon color, surmounting the central corolla of a very bright yellow with orange base. Long yellow stamens protrude from the heart of the flower. Its deciduous foliage of dark bluish green is quite decorative, and the cut of the basal leaves gives a sense of lightness. This columbine prefers humus-rich, moist and fertile soils, as well as semi-shaded conditions, in summary, conditions similar to clear undergrowth.

The spurs have been cultivated in flower beds since the Middle Ages, and the cottage gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and discreet, they are essential in mixed borders, where they will bring lightness and whimsy. They can be planted in many 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 shrubs, along the edge of woodland, on a slope. They will be magnificent when 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 'cottage garden' spirit, 'Tequila Sunrise' can be associated with all kinds of perennials, such as perennial geraniums, foxgloves, bleeding hearts, lady's mantles, corydalis, or peach-leaved bellflowers.