Culture
Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates a wide range of soils except heavy, poorly drained ones. Prefers rich, moist soils with light to moderate shade. Remove flowering stems after bloom to encourage additional bloom. Keep soils uniformly moist after bloom to prolong attractive foliage appearance. When foliage depreciates, plants may be cut to the ground.
‘Ruby Port’ may be grown from seed. However, it should be noted that seed collected from garden plants may not come true because different varieties of columbine may cross-pollinate in the garden producing seed that is at variance with either or both parents.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Aquilegia vulgaris knows as columbine (also commonly called European crowfoot and granny's bonnet) is native to Europe. It has escaped gardens and naturalized in parts of eastern North America. It is a bushy, clump-forming perennial that typically grows in a mound of thin, branching, leafy stems to 1.5-3' tall. It is noted for its spring bloom (April-May in St. Louis) of blue to violet flowers with spreading sepals and short-hooked spurs. Biternate, medium green, basal leaves are glabrous above and glaucous beneath. Upper leaves are divided into lobed leaflets that are usually three-lobed at the tips. Many different cultivars are available in commerce, featuring flowers that are single or double and short-spurred or spurless, in a variety of colors ranging from blue to violet to white to pink to red.
Var. stellata typically have clematis-like flowers.
Genus name comes from the Latin word for eagle in reference to the flower’s five spurs which purportedly resemble an eagle’s talon.
Specific epithet comes from the Latin word meaning common.
Columbine comes from the Latin word columba meaning dove-like. Common name of granny's bonnet is in reference to the spreading bonnet-like appearance of the flower petals.
‘Ruby Port’ is an heirloom columbine cultivar that dates back to the 1600s. It is noted for its spurless, dark maroon red, double flowers that bloom in spring (April-May in St. Louis). This is a bushy, clump-forming perennial that typically grows in a mound to 24-36” tall. It features biternate, almost fern-like, leaves that in shape are somewhat suggestive of meadow rue (Thalictrum). Foliage emerges maroon but ages to green.
Problems
Susceptible to leaf miner. Foliage usually declines by mid-summer at which point it should be cut to the ground.
Uses
Borders, cottage gardens, open shade gardens, woodland gardens or naturalized areas. Also a good selection for a hummingbird garden. Continue to water plants after bloom to enjoy the ground cover effect of the foliage.