• Photo of Aquilegia viridiflora (Aquilegia viridifloras)

Plant Profile: Aquilegia viridiflora

Names

Columbine, Green Columbine

  • Photo of Aquilegia viridiflora (Aquilegia viridifloras)

Phonetic Spelling:ah-kwih-LEE-jee-ah veer-id-ih-FLORE-uh

Genus:Aquilegia

Species:viridiflora

Family:Ranunculaceae

Green columbine is a compact perennial that typically grows between one and three feet tall and spreads about one foot wide. This flower thrives in average, well-drained soil and prefers full sun to partial shade, although it does not tolerate dry conditions well.

The plant features striking, fragrant blooms that appear from late spring to early summer, showcasing colors derived from carotenoid or anthocyanin pigments. It is often used in borders, mass plantings, natural landscapes, and as cut flowers. Providing light shade can extend the blooming period, and applying a systemic insecticide in early spring can serve as a preventive measure. Additionally, green columbine is resistant to damage from deer and rabbits.

**Quick Identification Tips:**

**Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Issues:** This plant is susceptible to various fungal diseases, as well as pests like borers, leaf miners, and aphids.

Aquilegia viridiflora Feature Summary

Aquilegia viridiflora Image Gallery

Tags

#showy flowers
#full sun tolerant
#fragrant flowers
#perennial
#cut flowers
#rabbit resistant
#deer resistant
#fantz
#boarders
#compact habit
#partial shade tolerant

Similar Plants

Aquilegia viridiflora Feature Summary

Attributes
S. Siberia to N. China, Japan
Perennial
Flowers
Terminal, several-flowered, sometimes branched. Pendent to erect; sepals 5, petaloid, colored as petals, much shorter than spurs; petals 5, forward-pointing lamina, elongate, hollow, nectar-secreting spur projecting backward.
Spring
Summer
4-5 petals/rays
Leaves
Basal leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 1-3 ternate, long petiolate, apex deeply incised, grayish-green; cauline leaves gradually reduced in size; petiole soft-pubescent.
Green
Gray/Silver
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Pinnatifid
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Mounding
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Less than 12 inches
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
Landscape
Cutting Garden
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems

Aquilegia viridiflora Attributes

Aquilegia viridiflora: Country Or Region Of Origin

S. Siberia to N. China, Japan

Aquilegia viridiflora: Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Aquilegia viridiflora Flowers

Aquilegia viridiflora: Flower Description

Terminal, several-flowered, sometimes branched. Pendent to erect; sepals 5, petaloid, colored as petals, much shorter than spurs; petals 5, forward-pointing lamina, elongate, hollow, nectar-secreting spur projecting backward.

Aquilegia viridiflora: Flower Value To Gardener

Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long Bloom Season
Long-lasting
Showy

Aquilegia viridiflora: Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Aquilegia viridiflora: Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Aquilegia viridiflora Leaves

Aquilegia viridiflora: Leaf Description

Basal leaves alternate, pinnately compound, 1-3 ternate, long petiolate, apex deeply incised, grayish-green; cauline leaves gradually reduced in size; petiole soft-pubescent.

Aquilegia viridiflora: Leaf Color

spa
Gray/Silver
spa
Green

Aquilegia viridiflora: Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Aquilegia viridiflora: Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Aquilegia viridiflora: Leaf Shape

Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate

Aquilegia viridiflora: Hairs Present

No
Yes

Aquilegia viridiflora Whole Plant Traits

Aquilegia viridiflora: Plant Type

Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower

Aquilegia viridiflora: Habit/Form

Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping

Aquilegia viridiflora Cultural Conditions

Aquilegia viridiflora: Light

Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)

Aquilegia viridiflora: Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Aquilegia viridiflora: Available Space To Plant

12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet

Aquilegia viridiflora: NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Aquilegia viridiflora: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
3a
thermostat
3b
thermostat
4a
thermostat
4b
thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b

Aquilegia viridiflora Stem

Aquilegia viridiflora: Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Aquilegia viridiflora Landscape

Aquilegia viridiflora: Landscape Theme

Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden

Aquilegia viridiflora: Resistance To Challenges

Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind

Aquilegia viridiflora: Problems

Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy