Columbine Aquilegia viridiflora
Other Common Name(s):
Other plants called Columbine:
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-kwih-LEE-jee-ah veer-id-ih-FLORE-uh
- Description
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Green columbine is a compact perennial flower that reaches one to three feet in height and one foot in spread. It grows easily in average, well-drained soil, in full sun to partial shade. It is intolerant of dry soils.
It has showy fragrant flowers that bloom late spring to early summer, color of carotenoid or anthocyanin pigments; utilized in borders, massing, natural settings, and cut flowers; light shade prolongs blooming season; apply a systemic insecticide in early spring as preventative. It is resistant to damage by deer and rabbits.
Quick ID Hints:
- Flowers with 5 elongate spurs
- Leaves 1-3 ternately compound
- Erect herbs with basal mound of leaves, flowering apex
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: It is prone to numerous fungal diseases, borers, leaf miners, and aphids.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Chocolate Soldier'
Brown and cream flowers
- 'Chocolate Soldier'
- 'Chocolate Soldier'
- Tags:


- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Chocolate Soldier'
Brown and cream flowers
- 'Chocolate Soldier'
- 'Chocolate Soldier'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Aquilegia
- Species:
- viridiflora
- Family:
- Ranunculaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- S. Siberia to N. China, Japan
- Dimensions:
- Height: 0 ft. 8 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Perennial
- Habit/Form:
- Mounding
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Available Space To Plant:
- Less than 12 inches
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 3a, 3b, 4b, 4a, 5b, 5a, 6a, 6b, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Flowers:
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Good Cut
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- 4-5 petals/rays
- Flower Description:
- Terminal, several-flowered, sometimes branched. Pendent to erect; sepals 5, petaloid, colored as petals, much shorter than spurs; petals 5, forward-pointing lamina, elongate, hollow, nectar-secreting spur projecting backward.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Pinnatifid
- Hairs Present:
- Yes
- Leaf Description:
- Basal leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 1-3 ternate, long petiolate, apex deeply incised, grayish-green; cauline leaves gradually reduced in size; petiole soft-pubescent.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Cutting Garden
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Rabbits
- Problems:
- Frequent Disease Problems
- Frequent Insect Problems