Aquilegia caerulea - Blue columbine

Aquilegia coerulea (or caerulea), nicknamed the Blue Columbine, is a wild plant native to North America. Its natural beauty allows it to rival horticultural varieties, both in ornamental value and ease of cultivation. This perennial forms a clump of pleasantly divided green leaves, topped in spring by flower stems that rise up to 60 cm tall, bearing very artistic flowers, sometimes entirely blue, or more often bicoloured (blue and white). Adapting to most damp, well-drained soils, it thrives in sun or partial shade, and is very hardy, down to below -20°C. It compensates for its fairly short lifespan (3-4 years) with a propensity to self-seed in the garden.

The Columbine is a member of the Ranunculaceae family, rich in many ornamental genera, such as Buttercups (Ranunculus), which obviously gave the family its name, Hellebores (Christmas Roses) and all the Clematis, superb popular climbing plants. There are about sixty wild species of Columbines. The Blue Columbine is a perennial plant native to North America and the official symbol of the State of Colorado. It grows more specifically in mountainous regions stretching from southern Montana to New Mexico, and from Idaho to Arizona. This herbaceous plant has an upright, slender silhouette, reaching between 20 and 60 cm in height. The foliage is green, usually not glaucous (bluish). The leaves are smooth on the upper surface and smooth to hairy underneath. They are prettily divided into small segments, which are themselves slightly indented, giving them undeniable grace. This slender vegetation forms a fairly low, small clump, about twenty centimetres high. In spring, long flower stems rise and branch, each bearing a few flowers, well visible above the foliage. The flowers are most often bicoloured, in white and blue, some specimens being completely blue, others sometimes incorporating pinkish-white. The calyx is formed of five blue or pale blue, elongated sepals measuring 20 to 40 mm long, spreading horizontally. The corolla consists of five white, or more rarely blue, rounded to spatulate petals, 15 to 25 mm long, forming a sort of cup that surrounds the heart of the flower. From this heart, golden yellow stamens burst outwards, while at the other end, long spurs of 30 to 45 mm give the plant its originality and its decorative geometry. The flowers, which measure 6 to 8 cm, bloom between April and June, with some years a small second flush in September. The deciduous foliage disappears in winter to return the following spring.

Columbines, formerly called cornets, already adorned flowerbeds in the Middle Ages, a tradition preserved in cottage gardens. The sculptural quality of the Blue Columbine combines a certain sophistication and a natural look that allows it to find its place in most gardens. Under light shade, you can associate them with Epimediums, which will rival them in grace, as will Bleeding Heart (Dicentra) with its original and equally slender flowers. Foxgloves will also be good companions, adding a touch of height to your scene, as will Veronicastrums which will be ideal in the background and extend the flowering period of your border.