Other Names:  Wild Columbine, Granny's Bonnet

Group/Class:  Earlybird™ Series

Brand:  PanAmerican Seed

Description:

Showy, red nodding flowers with pale yellow centers on slender stems with long, graceful spurs; makes for long lasting cut flowers; controlled habit with short stems on well mounded plants; good for naturalizing partially shaded areas

Ornamental Features

Earlybird™ Red and Yellow Columbine features bold nodding red bell-shaped flowers with buttery yellow overtones and red spurs at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny compound leaves remain green in colour throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Earlybird™ Red and Yellow Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance plant, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It is a good choice for attracting bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Earlybird™ Red and Yellow Columbine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Border Edging
• General Garden Use
• Groundcover
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Earlybird™ Red and Yellow Columbine will grow to be about 8 inches tall at maturity extending to 12 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen! As this plant tends to go dormant in summer, it is best interplanted with late-season bloomers to hide the dying foliage.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.