How to grow columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris)

Aquilegia vulgaris · aquilegia, granny's bonnet, common columbine

Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) — a short-lived perennial, 0.3–0.9 m tall, with ferny, lobed leaves and nodding spurred flowers in many colours and bicolours from late spring to early summer, between the spring bulbs and the summer perennials. Bees and hummingbirds visit the flowers, and it self-seeds freely. Columbine grows best in partial shade. Water it about every 7 days while it grows.

Updated: October 28, 2026

When to plant columbine?

Planted as a young plant from a nursery while it is dormant — in early spring before the buds open, or in autumn after leaf fall.

Frost dates · When to plant

Quick facts

Type	Flower
Latin name	Aquilegia vulgaris
Family	Ranunculaceae
Also called	aquilegia, granny's bonnet, common columbine
Planted as	young plants from a nursery
Life span	perennial
Planting season	spring
Light	Partial shade
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for planting	from 5 °C
First flowers	61 days after growth starts
Flowering lasts	45 days
Grown in	Open ground

How long does columbine take from planting to flowering?

From planting to the first flowers: about 61 days, or 9 weeks.

Step	Day
Planting	0
Growth starts	0
First flowers	61
End of flowering	106

Days count from the day of sowing or planting, by the figures of the card.

Where does columbine grow?

220,725 records of the plant in gardens, fields and the wild worldwide; most photos come from Germany, France, Norway, United Kingdom, and Russia.

World map: where columbine has been recorded — Darker green means more records. Photos are real observations from those countries — tap one to see it. Map and records: GBIF.org (2026-10-28), © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap. Photo: hilsyn, Halvard Mikalsen, Anna, William Cadwallader, Joby McNevin, Celestino Quintela Sabarís, Tommy Forrest (CC BY / CC0).

Columbine, Germany — Darker green means more records. Photos are real observations from those countries — tap one to see it. Map and records: GBIF.org (2026-10-28), © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap. Photo: hilsyn, Halvard Mikalsen, Anna, William Cadwallader, Joby McNevin, Celestino Quintela Sabarís, Tommy Forrest (CC BY / CC0).

Columbine care by growth stage

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 7 days	—	—
Flowering	every 7 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Partial shade suits it best; it takes full sun if the soil is kept moist. Some alpine species need full sun and sharp drainage, the dwarf woodland ones moist shade.

Soil

Rich, moist but free-draining soil; it is not fussy as long as the ground is neither waterlogged nor bone dry. It does not tolerate wet, poorly drained soil.

Care

Plant in spring, about 30 cm apart. Established plants rarely need water and in fertile soil no feed; use a general fertiliser only on poor ground. After flowering cut the whole plant down and give it a good soak to get a fresh flush of leaves; leave a few stems to ripen seed if you want new plants, as clumps last only two or three years. Self-sown and saved seedlings rarely match their parents. Sow fresh seed in spring or early summer; if nothing comes up after a few months, chill the seed in the fridge. Plants raised this way flower the next year or the one after. In autumn trim off yellowing leaves. Cut back leaves tunnelled by leaf miners — they regrow. Watch for aquilegia downy mildew, sawfly larvae and powdery mildew.

Pests and diseases of Columbine

2 problems are recorded for columbine; each has a page with symptoms, treatment and prevention.

Diseases

Downy Mildew

Pests

Leaf Miner

Other plants of the Ranunculaceae family

Columbine belongs to Ranunculaceae; 5 other plants of this family have a guide here.

Plant lists it is in

Part of: Garden flowers · Perennial garden flowers · Flowers for shade

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.