Aquilegia flabellata Ministar - Columbine

Aquilegia flabellata 'Ministar' is a small columbine with a truly bright bicoloured flowering. On its beautiful dense foliage cushions, during several weeks in spring, flowers of a very vibrant blue with a white calyx bloom. Against the nicely cut greyish-green foliage, typical of Columbines, this colour appears almost luminous. It is a very pretty perennial that will enhance slightly moist and semi-shaded areas of the garden, planted in a small rockery or as a border plant. It will also look superb in a container on the terrace or balcony.

Columbines are beautiful essential perennials, the lightness of the foliage and the original shape of the flowers have long seduced many gardeners. They are perfect for brightening up slightly shaded areas of flowerbeds. The different forms, sizes, and colours allow for unique combinations with other perennials. They belong to the Ranunculaceae family.

Aquilegia flabellata, also known as dwarf columbine, is a botanical species native to mountainous regions of Japan and Korea. It is a perennial herbaceous plant, whose vegetation persists more or less in winter. The variety 'Ministar', a beautiful improvement of this wild columbine, was distinguished by the Award of Garden Of Merit in 1993 by the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in England.

This columbine forms a small dense tuft of light foliage, 15 cm (6in) high and 30 cm (12in) wide, from which branching floral stems emerge from the end of April, reaching a height of about 25 cm (10in). Each flower, 4 cm (2in) wide and slightly inclined towards the ground, is composed of sepals with horned spurs of an almost electric blue surrounding a small corolla of white petals with a bluish base. They continue to bloom until June if faded flowers are carefully removed. Its slightly bluish-green foliage is quite decorative and the cut of the basal leaves gives an impression of lightness. 

Planted next to spring bulbs, the Ministar columbine will hide their withered and yellowing leaves at the end of spring. At the base of shrubs, it enhances their flowering or foliage. Compact and unassuming, columbines are essential in mixed borders, where they bring lightness. They can be planted in many areas of the garden, taking care to leave a 20 cm (8in) space around each plant: in the middle of a perennial flowerbed, in a border, at the base of shrubs, on the edge of a wood, on a slope or in a cool and shaded rockery. They will look magnificent planted in groups to create a dense tuft. Pick them when they are just opening for beautiful wild bouquets. In woodlands, in a 'romantic garden' style, 'Ministar' can be associated with all kinds of perennials, such as small ferns, foxgloves, bleeding hearts, or corydalis. Its modest size allows it to be grown in pots, where it performs well.

Be careful to separate the columbines from each other as wild hybridization can alter the varieties over time.