Aquilegia Snow Queen - Columbine

Aquilegia 'Snow Queen' is a white form of the Blue Columbine, whose flowers are a small wonder of natural elegance. Simple yet one of the most beautiful, this mountain species displays a hardy character and a bushy habit with a long flowering period starting in spring. A short-lived perennial, this columbine self-seeds easily. It is sometimes a bit difficult to grow in heavy soil, but is well worth the care you will give it.

The Blue Columbine (Aquilegia caerulea in Latin) is a perennial plant of the buttercup family, native to North America and the emblem of the state of Colorado. It grows specifically in the mountainous areas of southern Montana to New Mexico, and from western Idaho and Arizona, east to west. This herbaceous plant has an upright, vertical habit and measures from 20 to 60 cm (8 to 24in) in height. In late spring and early summer, from May to early July, large white flowers appear, standing upright or slightly drooping, measuring 6 to 10 cm (2 to 4in) in diameter and grouped in pairs or threes. Each flower has 5 flat sepals surrounding 5 petals, at the base of which 5 curved spurs point upwards. Between the petals, one can see long golden-yellow stamens. Sometimes a second flowering occurs in autumn. The decorative deciduous foliage is bluish-green and the cut-out of the basal leaves gives a light feel. Flowering reaches its peak after 2 or 3 years of cultivation. This plant does not live very long (its lifespan is about 3 to 4 years), but it self-seeds quite easily in the garden.

Columbines were already cultivated in the flowerbeds of the Middle Ages, and cottage gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and discreet, they are essential in mixed borders, where they will bring lightness. They can be planted in many places in the garden, taking care to leave a space of 30 cm (12in) around each plant: in the middle of a bed of perennials, in a border, at the base of bushes, on the edge of a woodland, or on a slope. The white columbine is magnificent in rockeries. Pick them when they are just opening to make beautiful bouquets. In flowerbeds with a cottage garden style, they can be associated with all kinds of perennials, such as Foxgloves, Bleeding Hearts, or Peach-leaved Bellflowers.