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Columbine 'Chocolate Soldier'
Seed Packet

Columbine 'Chocolate Soldier'

Aquilegia viridiflora
This rare gem has teardrop flowers with protruding golden stamens and pistil, golden embroidery on a bloom composed of a brown skirt overlayed with pale lime sepals. Delicate looking but hardy, fragrant, and floriferous, it adorns containers in part shade or edges the herb garden along with the ancient herbs rue and sweet cicely.
SKU #S1814
Caution: Poisonous. The purchaser assumes all liability related to the use of this product.
$5.00
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Growing Companions
Rue
Rue
Lamb's Ears
Lamb's Ears
Columbine 'Black Barlow'
Columbine 'Black Barlow'
Primrose - Wild
Primrose - Wild
Details
Approximate Seeds Per Packet
40
Lifecycle
Perennial
Perennial Hardiness Zone
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8
Mature Size
1' h x 8" w
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Soil
Rich, moist, well-drained
Season
Spring to summer
Color
Cocoa with hints of purple and pastel lime on nodding bells.
Features
Great Cut Flower
Deer Resistant
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Bees
Attracts Hummingbirds
SOWING INSTRUCTIONS
Depth:
Surface sow or barely cover.
Sprout Time:
15-60 days
Starting Indoors:
Stratify for 3 weeks at 35-40°F in late winter. To stratify, place seeds in dampened vermiculite or clean sand, enclose in a plastic bag and refrigerate. Eight to 10 weeks before last frost, remove pre-chilled seeds from refrigerator and sow. Cover with humidity dome and keep at 60-70°F. Transplant seedlings as they appear; anywhere from 2-8 weeks—be patient.
Starting Outdoors:
Direct sow in fall or earliest spring, or wintersow into pots in the shade, covered with a thin layer of clean sand and a wire screen to keep out mice and voles. Check for moisture at regular intervals.
WHEN TO SET OUTSIDE
At last frost date.
PLACEMENT & CULTIVATION
Columbine 'Chocolate Soldier' is a hardy perennial from China and Japan, found growing in verdant, moist areas. It displays a subtle but winning combination of cocoa brown and lime green, ornamenting containers in dappled shade, and edging woodland or herb gardens with its graceful, willowy presence. Trim after bloom and keep evenly moist for the best show. Caution: contains some toxic elements especially in the roots and foliage.
Final Spacing:
8"
Water Requirements:
Medium Water Use
Watering Details:
Plants are somewhat drought tolerant but do best with evenly moist soil; about 1" of water per week.
Soil pH:
Slightly acidic to neutral
Fertilizer:
Mix in a couple of inches of compost annually.
Diseases & Pests:
A common pest of columbines, leaf miners damage leaves by chewing tunnels in the leaves. At first indication of damage, pick off the affected leaves and destroy or use sprays of Bacillus thuringiensis, a biological, to combat.
When to Cut for Bouquets:
Harvest when 1/2 of the florets are open.
Growing Guides Winter Sowing Guide
Access here