Aquilegia vulgaris 'Nivea'
Oriental columbine, granny's bonnet (syn Munstead White)
Mounds of divided, pale green leaves are topped with upright, branching stems bearing nodding, short-spurred, pure white flowers in early...
6 × 9cm pots
£39.99
£6.67 each
available to order from autumn
9cm pot
£9.99
available to order from autumn
3 × 9cm pots
£22.99
£7.66 each
available to order from autumn
approx 70 seeds
£3.99
available to order from autumn
1
Plant description
Mounds of divided, pale green leaves are topped with upright, branching stems bearing nodding, short-spurred, pure white flowers in early summer. ‘Nivea’ is a pretty columbine, and looks wonderful when planted in drifts in a cottage garden themed display. This ‘Granny’s Bonnet’ will happily self-seed to form generous clumps alongside other early summer perennials such as Paeonia, Digitalis, and Allium.
Eventual height & spread
Flowering period
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Plant features
Position
Full sun / light shade
Rate of growth
Average
Soil
Moderately fertile, moist, well-drained soil
Hardiness
Fully hardy
How to care for Aquilegia vulgaris Nivea:
Lift and divide large clumps in early spring and apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost around the plant. Divided specimens may take some time to establish since they don't like having their roots disturbed. Deadhead to prolong flowering.
Sowing instructions:
In autumn, surface-sow on moist compost in small pots or seed trays and keep them in a greenhouse or cold frame at 15 to 20°C. Germination can be slow (up to 3 months) but seedlings should be thinned out as they grow on and over-wintered under glass before planting out after hardening off in spring. Alternatively, spring sowing can be undertaken as before, often without the need for heat.
Please note:
This perennial dies back to below ground level each year in autumn, then fresh new growth appears again in spring.
GOES WELL WITH
Aquilegias - nectar-rich and lovely
These cottage garden essentials take their name from Aquila, Latin for eagle, because the nectar-rich spurs at the back of the flower resemble eagle's talons. Their other common name, columbine, is also related to a bird. If you turn the flowers upside d
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