Aquilegia sibirica - Columbine

Aquilegia sibirica, also known as Columbine, is a rare wild species in cultivation, which flowers in the temperate mountains of Asia, not far from watercourses. In late spring and summer, it displays two-tone flowers, with porcelain blue touched with pale white and yellow, slightly incurved. The delicate flower stems emerge from a lovely clump of grey-green dissected foliage. It is a very hardy perennial plant, suitable for alpine rockeries. 

Aquilegia sibirica is a perennial plant of the Ranunculaceae family. Its distribution range extends from Kazakhstan to Siberia, Mongolia, and western China. In the wild, it is found between 1600 and 2000 meters (5249 and 6562 feet) above sea level, on stream banks. Its cultivation requirements are clear: it prefers alpine climates, dislikes heatwaves, and likes slightly moist but well-drained soils. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant that forms clumps measuring about 40 cm (16in) in height. The foliage emerges in spring. The leaves are biternate, compound with 3 kidney-shaped leaflets, measuring up to 5 cm (2in) wide, with a hairy underside. Flowering occurs from June to July, sometimes a little earlier depending on the climate. The 4 cm (2in) diameter flowers consist of blue petals washed with white and bordered with pale yellow, and mauve-blue sepals with short incurved spurs at the base. They are grouped in terminal cymes of 2 to 4 on upright flower stems. The above-ground vegetation is deciduous and absent in winter. 

This columbine will delight collectors of alpine plants and enthusiasts of rare botanical species. Despite its excellent hardiness, this Aquilegia may not be the easiest to cultivate: sufficient moisture is required from spring to early summer, but the soil should be drier from late summer until autumn. Its roots also dislike freezing and waterlogged soils in winter. In a cool but sunny rockery, you can cultivate it with other alpine plants, such as alpine gentian or edelweiss, for example.