Aquilegia vulgaris Green Apples - Columbine

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Green Apples', also known as Hybrid Common Columbine, or Aquilegia clematiflora 'Green Apples' is a hardy herbaceous perennial, as easy to grow as a wild columbine. It blooms from spring to the beginning of summer, with flowers appearing the colour of sour apples, then creamy white before finally pure white. This charming and unassuming plant is truly easy to grow in any soil, requiring no special care, and easily naturalizes in rockeries and borders.

Aquilegia vulgaris 'Green Apples' belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. It is a cultivar derived from Aquilegia vulgaris (A. vulgaris var. stellata, or A. clematiflora), native to Europe, North Africa, and temperate Asia, where it grows in deciduous woodland clearings and meadows. It is a very hardy herbaceous perennial, forming an upright, leafy clump, 40 cm (16in) tall and 30 cm (12in) wide from which long flower stalks rise and branch upwards. From May to June, charming single flowers bloom on stems up to 60 cm (24in) tall. They have long horned spurs, with the corollas changing from light green through cream to pure white as the flowers age. Its deciduous bluish-green foliage is quite decorative, and the dissected basal leaves give a sense of lightness.

Columbines were already cultivated in the Middle Ages, and cottage gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and unassuming, they are essential in mixed borders, where they bring lightness and charm. They can be planted in many different areas of the garden, taking care to leave a space of 20 cm (8in) around each plant: in the middle of a perennial bed, in a border, at the base of bushes, at the edge of woodlands or on a slope. They will be magnificent when planted in groups to create a dense clump. Pick them when they are just opening for beautiful country bouquets. In parterre beds, in a 'cottage garden' spirit, 'Green Apples' can be paired with all kinds of perennials, such as Foxgloves, Bleeding Hearts, or Bellflowers with peach-like leaves.