Aquilegia Earlybird™ Yellow
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Aquilegia Earlybird™ Yellow: Butter Yellow for Spring's Shady Corners
Soft, creamy light yellow, facing upward on a short, tidy mound, like a pat of butter that learned to bloom. This columbine is mellow and sweet without ever being boring. CREAMY, DREAMY, DONE.
Plant Characteristics:
- Botanical Name: Aquilegia hybrid (cultivar code 'Pas1258489')
- Common Name: Columbine
- Series: Earlybird™, a PanAmerican Seed first-year-flowering columbine series
- Height: 23–28 cm (9–11 in)
- Spread: 20–25 cm (8–10 in)
- Flowers: Soft, creamy light yellow, 5–8 cm (2–3 in) across, facing upward
- Bloom Time: Late spring to early summer (May to July)
- Foliage: Soft, finely divided green leaves in a compact mound
- Features: Compact, good cut flower
Where to Plant: Use it at the front of a border, along a path or in containers, where its soft colour brightens part shade.
Companion Plants: Pair these soft yellow columbines with pink and gold in a moist bed in sun or part shade. Iris 'Pink Parfait' opens double lavender-pink Siberian iris at 60 to 75 cm in May and June. Trollius 'Golden Queen' adds bowl-shaped orange-gold globeflowers at 75 to 90 cm in June and July. Hibiscus Summerific® 'Edge of Night' brings bubblegum pink blooms over dark leaves at 90 to 105 cm from July to September. Deschampsia 'Northern Lights' edges the bed with cream-striped blades at 30 to 40 cm.
Plant Care: Plant in full sun or part sun in moist, well-drained soil. Afternoon shade helps the flowers last longer in hot weather. Avoid heavy, soggy soil, especially over winter. Water regularly through the first season. Deadhead to keep it tidy and encourage a few more flowers. If the leaves look tired or get marked by leaf miners in midsummer, cut them back and fresh foliage will follow. Like most columbines, individual plants are fairly short-lived, so a few new ones every few years keeps the show going.
History: The Earlybird™ series comes from PanAmerican Seed and was bred to need less winter chill than older columbines, so plants flower quickly and stay short and well branched, with upward-facing flowers. The genus name Aquilegia comes from the Latin word for eagle, a nod to the claw-like spurs.
Final Thoughts: Plant it in a pot by the door and let the hummingbirds and bees stop by. Pair it with blue for full sunshine. YOUR PATIO'S NEW FAVOURITE CONDIMENT.