Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White

Aquilegia Earlybird™ Blue White: Blue-and-White Bonnets Facing the Sky

Bright blue with a white centre, facing upward like it's checking the sky for weather. This little columbine looks like it was painted by someone with a very steady hand. SKY ON A STICK.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Aquilegia hybrid (cultivar code 'Pas1258485')
• 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: Bicolour, bright blue with a white centre, 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, in a rock garden or in containers, where its small size lets you see the flowers up close. It bridges the gap between spring and early summer colour.

Companion Plants: Sedum 'Fulda Glow' forms a low mat with red flowers from July to September. Lysimachia clethroides adds white, curved spikes at 60 to 90 cm in the same weeks. Lobelia 'Queen Victoria' brings red flowers from midsummer into early fall, picking up as the columbine finishes in July. Plant the group in full sun or partial sun.

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: Compact enough for a pot, bold enough for the front row. The hummingbirds will wave hello. POCKET-SIZED BLUE SKIES.