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: Tuck these compact blue and white columbines into a moist, part-shade bed with colour on both sides of their season. Helleborus HGC® Ice N' Roses® Rosetta opens soft pink flowers at 45 to 60 cm from March to May, just before the columbines. Heuchera FYRE WING™ 'Jet' adds dark foliage at 18 cm with small pink bells in May and June. Hibiscus 'Midnight Marvel' brings huge scarlet blooms at 120 cm from July to September in the sunnier spot. Molinia 'Moorflamme' adds a fine clump at about 60 cm that turns orange-red in fall.

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.