fan columbine
Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila
Overview
Fan columbine is an amazing species of plant. Its showy flowers stand upright, in a flattened and rounded fan pattern, making it a unique addition to any garden. It has delicate, fern-like foliage, which adds texture and movement to the garden. It's easy to grow and relatively compact, only reaching 30cm in height, making it great for smaller gardens or tucked into the front of a flower bed. It's drought tolerant, low maintenance, and is perfect for rock gardens or other arid areas. In addition to its beauty, this native columbine is known for being a good pollinator plant making it an excellent addition to an eco-friendly garden.
Care Guide
Watering
This humidity-loving plant needs to be watered regularly, but not too often. Fans of columbine can water once a week and ensure the soil is moist – not soggy – throughout the growing season. During the hot summer months, water a bit more often if needed to keep the leaves from wilting or drying out. During the winter months, water your fan columbine less, approximately once every 2 weeks. When you do water, be sure to saturate the soil with plenty of water, ensuring that excess liquid can drain away to prevent issues with root-rot.
Light
Fan columbine prefers full or partial sun. Sunrise is a good time for plants to receive direct sunlight, and the best time for fan columbine is between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. In partially sunny conditions, fan columbine should receive direct sunlight for at least 6 hours per day to reach its full beauty and growth potential. Areas that receive direct sunlight for most of the day may require less direct sunlight for the fan columbine to thrive. Although the plant appreciates as much sunlight as it can get, the foliage can become scorched if exposed to too much direct sunlight during the hottest part of the day. Avoid exposing fan columbines to direct sunlight after 11 a.m. or before 4 p.m. to prevent foliage damage.
Temperature
Hardiness zone 4–9.
Pruning
Fan columbine (Aquilegia flabellata var. pumila) should be pruned right after flowering in late spring or early summer. The best times to prune fan columbine are when the flowers have just died off, but the foliage is still healthy and green. Pruning should involve removing the old flower stalks, dead or diseased leaves, and any weak or crossing stems. Generally, fan columbine should not be pruned more than 1-third of its total growth in order to keep the shrub healthy.
Propagation
Division, Root Cutting, Seed Propagation, Layering Propagation
Uses & Symbolism
Attracts: Butterflies.
Related plants
Other plants you might like if you grow fan columbine.
