Aquilegia pyrenaica

DWARF PYRENEES COLUMBINE

Aquilegia pyrenaica
DWARF PYRENEES COLUMBINE

Aquilegia pyrenaica packs a king size hit of colour.
From large, intensely blue flowers on a dwarf plant.
And the blue is glorious, rich, deep, and truly satisfyingly blue.

Large intensely blue flowers on a dwarf plant

Aquilegia pyrenaica is a small but robust grower, with such large vivid blooms on a very compact plant.
The foliage is also decorative with blue shaded, scalloped leaves.
Forming a very neat, graceful evergreen clump of blue-green colour.

Perfect for small gardens & pots

So it is perfect for small gardens or containers.

Prolific bloomer

Aquilegia pyrenaica blooms prolifically from mid spring into summer.
With the cheeky poppets of flowers looking boldly up at you rather than coyly nodding.
The stems are just long enough to make it suitable for cut flowers in a small vase.

Hardy little toughie

Aquilegia pyrenaica is a very hardy, evergreen perennial, despite it’s dainty size.
It is actually a very frost and heat hardy little toughie, seen in abundance on the rocky slopes of the Pyrenees in France and Spain. Though it is also widespread across France and Spain.
Where it contends with and is well adapted to rocky places, limestone, and exposed slopes.

Water-wise little beauty

And it certainly tolerates some dry periods once established.
And can thrive on average garden watering.
It is not a water-guzzler, especially when sheltered by mulch or rocks.

Perfect in Shade or Sun

So plant Aquilegia pyrenaica in Shade to ½ Shade, Morning Sun, or even in Full Sun in cooler climates.
However it’s happiest place is glowing with colour under trees and shrubs, shaded but well-lit, or in sun for a good part of the day.
It is not shy about sunlight as long as it is well-mulched or tucked between rocks.

Evergreen perennial clump 20cm. High in bright blue flower heads x 25cm Wide of pretty scalloped foliage.

Rabbit & deer resistant

Rabbits and deer tend to completely ignore Aquilegias, despite their lush foliage.
Because they seem to know there are compounds within that will disagree with them.

SEED SOWING ADVICE:

Sow seeds of Aquilegia pyrenaica any time indoors in a punnet / or scatter directly in garden in autumn and winter.
Aquilegias germinate easily in the garden after winter chilling.

Indoors for early quick plants: First sow the seeds on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.
Then barely cover the seeds with a fine sprinkling of sieved mix.
But only to a maximum of their own diameter.
Because these seeds need light to germinate.

Thoroughly moisten by standing the punnet in a shallow water bath and allowing the water to percolate to the surface of the mix from below.

Seeds enjoy gentle warmth

Now place in a warm, well-lit position (Not in any direct sunlight).

Temperatures of 15- 20C. are ideal for rapid and optimum germination.
You can use a heat mat if you have one, but it is not essential. A warm, sheltered but well-lit window sill or corner will also be fine.

Keep moist but not wet

And continue to keep the sown punnet moist by misting from a spray water bottle.
Covering the punnet with a clear lid, plastic bag, or glass will help to maintain consistent moisture and prevent the punnet from drying out.

Seedlings may begin emerging as soon as 10 days. But germination of the seeds will be staggered, as this plant in the wild likes to give every chance that some seeds will emerge into favourable weather.
So do not discard the punnet too quickly because seeds will continue to emerge over a period of time.

However if there is no germination in 4 weeks – Then it means the seeds have entered natural dormancy, and need a period of chilling to simulate winter.
So wrap the moist, sown punnet punnet in cling-wrap and keep in fridge (not freezer) for 4-6 weeks.
The remove from fridge, unwrap, moisten again.
And return to a warm well-lit place at 15-20C for germination.
Seedlings may begin emerging as soon as 10 days. But do not discard punnet as seeds will continue to germinate for up to 30-90 days.

Seed Count: 10 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve).

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