Aquilegia viridiflora Chocolate Soldier - Columbine

The 'Chocolate Soldier' Aquilegia viridiflora is a lovely selection of the Green Columbine, whose flowers are strongly tinged with brown-violet and purple. It is a small, short plant with a strong presence in spring: its clusters of pendulous flowers, in a dark, unusual colour diffuse a pleasant fragrance in partial shade. When it is happy, in well-drained soil that doesn't dry out, this collectible columbine requires no special care and easily naturalizes in rockeries and borders.

Aquilegia viridiflora, like all columbines, belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. It is native to China, Japan, and Siberia. It can be found in forests, on grassy slopes, in valleys, along riverbanks, and in wet areas. The 'Chocolate Soldier' cultivar stands out with its colourful brown flowers.

It is a very hardy, leafy herbaceous perennial, forming an upright clump, 30 cm (12in) tall and 20 cm (8in) wide producing long flower stalks that branch upwards. The fragrant flowering occurs from April to June in the form of pendulous flowers, 2 cm (1in) long, bicoloured, with chocolate-coloured petals surrounded by yellow-green sepals and topped with a short, brown-violet spur. Long stamens protrude from the corolla, displaying anthers covered in yellow pollen. The flowers are grouped in clusters of 3 to 7 units. This variety readily self-seeds, but not always faithfully.

The foliage and above-ground vegetation disappear in winter, sometimes as early as mid-summer if the soil does not remain moist and the plant has produced seeds. The beautifully cut basal leaves (biternate) are a lovely bluish-green, giving a sense of lightness.

Columbines were cultivated in flowerbeds in The Middle Ages, and cottage gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and unassuming, they are essential in mixed borders, where they will bring lightness and charm. They can be planted in many different areas of the garden, taking care to leave a 20 cm (8in) space around each plant: in the middle of a perennial bed, in a border, at the base of bushes, along woodland edges or on a slope. They will be magnificent when planted in groups to create a beautiful dense clump. Pick them when they are just opening for stunning country bouquets. In a moist, semi-shaded rockery or light woodland, 'Chocolate Soldier' can be paired with perennials that appreciate similar environments, such as Foxgloves, smaller-sized ferns, Bleeding Hearts, or Corydalis, for example.