Dove-like flowers amaze with their beauty. Once, seeing them - fall in love for life. Inexperienced flower growers are afraid of the difficulties in planting and caring for aquilegia. In fact, he is easy. An unpretentious flower requires compliance with a few simple rules, which you can learn about from the article.
Content:

General information
Aquilegia is a herbaceous perennial from the buttercup family. The plant is also known under the names catchment, eagle, columbine. There are about 120 species, of which 35 are cultivated at home.

The flower has been known to people for a long time
In the Middle Ages, he was depicted in paintings, he meant the presence of the holy spirit. He was mentioned in literature, for example, Shakespeare in Hamlet described how Ophelia gives a columbine flower to brother Laertes.
The height of the ground part of the aquilegia reaches 1 m. The root has a rod shape and many branches. It can grow up to 50 cm deep.
At the base of the shoot, a renewal bud is formed every year. It forms a socket. From which leaves and peduncles appear.
The leaves emerging from the rosette, trifoliately dissected, grow on long roots. Stem leaves are tightly packed, they have no petioles.
Flowers near the watershed are solitary. On one peduncle there can be up to 12 pcs. The inflorescence is a panicle. It is quite rare, drooping. The diameter of the flower reaches 10 cm, but this, like the color, depends on the variety.
Many watershed species have spurs near the flower, in which nectar accumulates.
There is a classification of plants according to them:
- Without spur
- With straight spurs
- With curved spurs
The flowering period lasts about a month. It falls in May or June. But there are varieties that bloom until frost.
After flowering, the fruit ripens - a multi-leaf. Small black seeds ripen in it. Their germination is maintained throughout the year. Self-sowing of seeds is possible.

Kinds

columbine flowers
The species belonging to the distribution area can be determined by the appearance of the flowers. Growing on the Eurasian continent, they are painted in one color, their spurs have a bend. North American women are full of bright colors and have straight, long spurs.
ordinary

ordinary
- The homeland of the variety is Western Europe. Its height is about 80 cm. The bush is sprawling, its diameter can reach 50 cm.
- The leaves growing from the rosette are pinnate, twice dissected, ovate-wedge-shaped. Their outer part is glossy, dark green, the inner part is grayish-green, covered with fluff.
- Stem leaves are ordinary.
- Flowers solitary, with spurs.They are mostly blue in color, 4-5 cm in diameter. Breeders brought them out in different colors - white, pink, lilac.
- The species tolerates frost very well. He is not afraid of temperatures up to -35 degrees.
hybrid

hybrid
- Her homeland is Russia. It became more widespread in the middle zone of the country. This species contains many varieties.
- The height of the stem varies from 50 cm to 1 m. The leaves and stems are identical to ordinary aquilegia. But her flowers are larger, their diameter is 9 cm. They have long spurs.
- They are found with both smooth and double petals.
- The hybrid variety is the basis for breeding new varieties.
Alpine

Alpine
- The species is widespread in Europe. In nature, she prefers to grow in the mountains and on the rocks. Likes calcareous soils, sandy and loamy.
- The size of the plant is compact, its height is 30 cm, when grown on fertile soils it can be higher.
- The flowers are large, about 8 cm in diameter. Their color is blue, purple or blue.
- Spurs are short, curved. The stamens are not prominent. The flowering period is in the middle of summer.
fan-shaped

fan-shaped
- Under natural conditions, a variety is common in the Far East and Japan. This species has a second name - Akita.
- The height of the bush is 15 - 60 cm. The leaves grow on long petioles, tripartite.
- Purple-blue flowers with a white margin. They are medium in size, the diameter does not exceed 6 cm. The spurs are curved and long. Garden varieties with double and white flowers have been developed. Peduncle can have from 1 to 5 flowers.
- The flowering period takes place in May, for 3 weeks. Seeds ripen by mid-summer, and leaves grow until late autumn.
- This variety is used for forcing in winter.
- Fan aquilegia loves good lighting and sandy soils. She is warm-hearted. Therefore, bushes need to be covered for the winter.
Bertoloni

Bertoloni
- Native to the Southern Alps.
- Very miniature bushes, do not grow above 15 cm. The leaves are gray-green in color.
- The flowers are large, 7-8 cm in diameter. The petals are blue, have curved spurs.
- The flowering period is in the middle or end of spring. In rare cases, it can bloom flowers in June.
Discolor

Discolor
- Homeland species of the Pyrenees. Represented by compact bushes, 10 - 15 cm high.
- The leaves are openwork, it is double-triple dissected. Stems erect, with few side shoots.
- Flowers are located on long peduncles. They are drooping. Their corolla is blue, and the inner calyx is cream.
- Flowering is long, proceeds in May-June. Occasionally capturing part of July.
- The fruit is shaped like a pod.
green-flowered

green-flowered
- The species grows in Eastern Siberia, Mongolia, China. The stems grow up to 26 - 60 cm. The inflorescences are dense, glandular, covered with down.
- The leaves are twice and thrice dissected. Their lower part has a grayish tint.
- Petals are curved. Spurs have a bend, their size is equal to the bend. It blooms green with a yellowish edging.
- This aquilegia tolerates winter frosts well. Likes sunny or semi-shaded places with sandy soils.
- In this form, brown flowers are found, for example, the chocolate soldier variety.
Karelina

Karelina
- Prefers to grow in Central Asian forests. It got its name in honor of the scientist - botanist G.S. Karelin.
- The height of the bush varies from 20 to 80 cm.
- Flowers purple or burgundy. They have pointed sepals. Petals are truncated. They grow singly on the peduncle.
- Spurs are up to 1 cm long, have a strong bend.
small-flowered

Aquilegia parviflora
- Wild flowers grow on Sakhalin. It is distinguished by abundant flowering, but the flowers themselves are small in size, with a diameter of 3 cm. One inflorescence can consist of 25 flowers. The spurs are small.
- Leaves grow from a rosette. The outer side is smooth, green, the inner with a bluish tint.
- The height of the stem is approximately 50 cm. There are no leaves on it.
- The flowering period falls on June-July. The fruits ripen by the end of summer.
- Can grow under the sun. Be sure to lay a drainage layer.
acute sepal

Aquilegia oxysepala
- Distributed in the Far East, Siberia, China, Korea.
- The height of the bush is 70 - 100 cm. The stems have many side shoots. The leaves are green above and the underside is grey-green.
- The flowers are not large, up to 3.5 cm in diameter. They can be white or purple. The spurs are curved, their length is up to 1 cm. The calyx petals are pointed.
- The flowering period is an average of 25 days, falls on June-July. The fruits ripen 4 weeks after the plant has flowered.
- The soil must be drained. Lighting this species needs bright, but diffused.
Dark

Dark
- The species is native to the Alps and the Apennines. The height of its stem is from 30 to 80 cm.
- Leaves cast a bluish tint. The flowers are medium, up to 4 cm in diameter. They are drooping, purple, lilac or blue in color. Some varieties have a white border on the petals. Spurs are small, curved.
- The flowering period begins at the end of May.
- Grows well in any soil. For normal development, she needs partial shade.
- It is used in breeding as a base species for breeding varieties with dark colors.
Siberian

Siberian
- This species is native to Siberia and Mongolia. It is distinguished by a strongly branched bush with openwork leaves. They are colored green with a reddish tint.
- The flowers are blue, purple, sometimes white or yellowish. Their diameter is 5 cm. The spurs are small.
- Flowering occurs at the end of spring and lasts up to 3 weeks.
- Varieties of this species grow in any conditions. Their main requirement is regular hydration.
- Decorative value lies in abundant flowering.
Dark-veined

Dark-veined
- The species is native to Kazakhstan and China. Its height is from 30 to 60 cm.
- Blooms in dark shades of purple and wine. The flowers have short spurs. Leaves and stems are covered with light down.
- This variety is a very rare guest in gardens and flower beds. Distributed only in native areas.
Ainseli

Ainseli
- The natural environment for this species is the Austrian Alps. She is used to growing on rocks and among stones.
- The plant has miniature bushes, up to 25 cm high. On fertile soil, they can grow up to 40 cm.
- The flowers are drooping, 3.5 cm in diameter. Their color is dark, blue-violet. The spurs are short.
- Flowering occurs in mid-summer.
glandular

glandular
- It grows in the mountainous areas of Altai, Sayan, Tien Shan.
- The height of the stem is up to 65 cm. This variety has two-color flowers - blue and white.
- They have a large size, the diameter reaches 10 cm. They bloom in mid-May.
golden-flowered

Aquilegia aureus
- The homeland of the species is North America. Differs in high bushes, their growth can reach 1 m.
- The size of the flowers is medium, up to 5 cm in diameter. They have long spurs.
- They are painted in a bright golden yellow color.
- Blooms towards mid-summer. It tolerates winter frosts and drought well.
Canadian

Canadian
- Distributed in Canada and the eastern United States. The height of the bush of this species is 60 cm.
- Flowers are painted in two colors - red on the outside and yellow on the inside. Their diameter is 4.5 cm.
- Their spurs are straight and long.
- The variety is frost-resistant. Grow prefers in shady places. Requires regular watering.
Winky

Winky
- It has a compact bush with shoots, the maximum height is 25 cm. Peduncles are strong and stable. They have inflorescences.
- Flowers bicolor, bred in a wide range of colors.
- Due to the upright flowers, it looks good in various floral arrangements.
Biedermeier

Biedermeier
- This is a bred hybrid variety. It is based on ordinary aquilegia.
- Her flowers are very lush, terry. Drooping.
- Their color is double: red-yellow, white-blue and other shades.Bushes grow up to a maximum of 60 cm.
- Differs in unpretentiousness and resistance to the most severe conditions of existence.
ruby port

Aquilegia Ruby Port
- A variety derived from the common aquilegia. It has three rows of petals.
- Spurs are medium in size. There are both monophonic petals, and with a mixture of various shades. The average height of the bush is 80 cm.
Olympic

Olympic
- It is distributed in the Caucasus, Asia Minor, Iran. The stem grows up to 60 cm. It is covered with thick fluff.
- The flowers are large, 10 cm in diameter. They are decorated with straight spurs. They are painted in a soft blue color.
- The flowering period falls on mid-May and lasts until mid-June.
Skinner

Skinner
- It occurs naturally in the south of the North American continent. The maximum plant height is 70 cm.
- The flowering period is in August. The flowers are medium in size, about 4 cm in diameter.
- The variety is resistant to frost, shelter for the winter is not required.
Ekalkarata

Ekalkarata
- Its homeland is Japan and China. It has a miniature bush 15 - 20 cm tall. Flowers are small. They don't have spurs.
- Cherry colored petals. The flowering period falls on the second half of summer.
Barlow

Aquilegia Barlow
- Derived variety. Its decorative value is large flowers, up to 10 cm in diameter.
- Sepals flow smoothly into spurs.
- A double perianth creates a lush flower. Flowering occurs at the end of summer. She likes to grow in partial shade.
blue

Catchment blue
- This species is native to the USA. Her flower is featured on the coat of arms of Colorado.
- The height of the bush is 60 - 70 cm. It is very branched. Its width reaches 50 cm.
- The leaves are large, painted in green-gray color. They are tripartite. Retain their color until the first autumn frosts.
- The flowers are medium in size, their diameter is 6 cm. They have long spurs, up to 5 cm. The variety has the longest flowering, up to 40 days. Their color is pale lilac.
- Blue aquilegia has increased frost resistance. She is not afraid of cold temperatures down to -40 degrees. It belongs to light-loving species, but can grow in partial shade. She needs sandy soil.
- This species is used to breed new varieties with long, straight spurs.

Landing
Aquilegia reproduces in two ways:
- seed
- Vegetative
Before planting any plant, you need to take care of the conditions for normal growth and development. The catchment, although the flower is unpretentious, but it is no exception.
Choosing a place and soil for planting in open ground
Aquilegia likes to grow in partial shade. In the sun, she will have smaller flowers, the flowering period will be shorter. There are only two types of sun-loving species: alpine and fan.
The catchment area is undemanding to the soil. Despite this, before planting it needs to be prepared: dig up and add fertilizer. You can use manure or compost.

If the soil in the garden is clayey, you need to add river sand or gravel to it.
The best time for planting is early spring or early autumn.. The plant planted during this period will be accepted faster, it will hurt less.
Planting a seedling
When the place is prepared, you can start planting a seedling. You can buy it from a nursery, dig up a self-sowing seed, or divide an existing bush.

Planting plants in open ground
If the choice fell on a seedling, from a garden or taken from friends, it must be examined for health. Aquilegia is susceptible to harmful insects and plant diseases. It should have clean and even leaves. Be sure to check for stains on them.
When transplanting an adult plant, carry it with a clod of earth. Three or four year old aquilegia does not tolerate movement well. Care must be taken not to damage the root. Such plants are not suitable for propagation by division. They can be propagated by seeds or cuttings.
For dividing the bush, a catchment area no older than two years is suitable. For this, the period at the end of summer or the beginning of autumn is suitable.
Step by step description of the procedure:
- Cut off the ground part of the aquilegia. Leaving about 5 cm.
- Carefully dig out the bush, being careful not to damage the root system. The root goes deep into the rod, this must not be forgotten.
- Rinse the root.
- Divide so that each part has a part of the central root with lateral processes and several renewal buds.
- Plant all parts in the shade or consider temporary sun protection. This will ensure less soreness of the aquilegia.
- Watering needs regular until late autumn. At the same time, you can not overfill and allow stagnation of water.
If the cutting method is chosen, then it is carried out in early spring. Until the plant has unleashed its leaves:
- A shoot is cut with a piece of root. It is also called the heel.
- Treat it with a root stimulator.
- Plant in fertile soil, half mixed with sand or in sand.
- Build a greenhouse over planted cuttings. You can cover each with a glass jar or a cut plastic bottle.
- Shelter can not be removed for 10 days even for watering. After the expiration of this period, rare ventilation can be carried out. The greenhouse is removed after a month.
- During this time, a full-fledged root system will form.. Bushes can be moved to a permanent place in the flower bed.
seed method
Aquilegia seeds germinate well when they are fresh.. It is recommended to plant them immediately after they have been harvested. If this is not possible, then store them in a cool place. They cannot be stored for more than a year.
Seeds collected from a hybrid plant may lose the qualities that the mother plant had. For example, the color of the petals or their doubleness.

aquilegia seed
In autumn, the seeds are sown directly into the ground. Scatter the seeds on the surface of the finished bed. Slightly press them into the soil and moisten. You don't need to dig them deep. Sprouts will appear in the spring, after the snow melts. Flowering occurs in the second year.
Planted in this way, aquilegia have greater endurance than propagated in other ways.
When planting in the spring, you must first grow seedlings. If they are planted immediately in the ground, then they will rise for a long time. Perhaps only next year the first shoots will appear.
Step-by-step instruction:
- Before planting seedlings, seeds must be stratified. To do this, mix the seeds with the substrate and sand, moisten. Wrap in a plastic bag and put in the refrigerator. The term of such exposure is a month.
- Then get and keep at a temperature not higher than 18 degrees until landing on the site. It is necessary to provide good diffused lighting. The room must be regularly ventilated so that there is no greenhouse effect. You can not keep containers with seedlings near the batteries. As the soil dries, it needs to be moistened by sprinkling with water.
- When 2 - 3 full-fledged leaves grow, you need to dive into separate pots.
- Landing is carried out in late April or early May. The distance between the bushes should be about 40 cm.
- At home, there may be difficulties with lighting and temperature. If these conditions are not met, the seedlings will be stunted.

Care

Aquilegia is easy to care for.She is unpretentious and does not make any special demands.
You need to water regularly. Produce it as the soil dries. A long root gets moisture at a depth, but it is impossible to leave the bushes completely without watering.
Water the bushes by irrigation from a watering can, simulating rain. Flowers accumulate drops of water, not without reason it is called a catchment area. In the sun they shimmer beautifully.
The ground should be light. Around it is necessary to weed weeds and loosen the earth. To prevent self-seeding of aquilegia, after the flowers wither, they are removed. This must be done until the fruit has ripened and released the seeds into the wild.
The maximum growth period of the bush is 4 - 5 years. If left longer, the flowers will become smaller. May lose the brightness of the color of the petals.
With age, the roots of the plant begin to protrude from the ground.. In autumn, after pruning the plant, they can be seen. It is necessary to sprinkle them with earth with humus, peat or compost. This will cover the root system, provide additional nutrition and warm in winter frosts.
fertilizers

During the season, you need to carry out 2 - 3 plant feeding
You can fertilize with diluted manure at the rate of 1 bucket per 10 bushes or mineral fertilizers.
- The first feeding is carried out in early May. For it, you can use organic fertilizers. For example, "Flower". 1 tablespoon is diluted in a bucket of water. You need to water under the root, without touching the leaves.
- During flowering, approximately the beginning of June. You can use urea and a solution of nitrophoska.
- After the flowers have withered, fed with urea or potassium sulfate.

Diseases and pests

Such beauty sometimes needs your protection
- From an excess of moisture, stagnant water, the roots of the plant will begin to rot. It is necessary to reduce the intensity of watering. For wet soils. Before planting, be sure to lay a drainage layer.
- Lack of sun causes powdery mildew attack. The leaves are covered with white bloom, turn red, fall off. If you see it in time, it is enough to cut off the damaged sheet and ensure the flow of sunlight. In case of mass infection, special products sold in flower shops will help.
Helps to get rid of the sulfur solution. She needs to be processed 2 times a week.
- Aquilegia can get gray rot. Signs of it are dark watery spots. You can get rid of it with a solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides.
- An attack by aphids or caterpillars can be devastating. They will eat the bush in a few days. Fundazol helps for prevention.

Distillation in winter
Aquilegia can be made to bloom in winter. Varieties suitable for forcing:
- fan
- hybrid
- Alpine
- glandular
- Canadian
You need to choose young plants that bloomed only one season. Selected bushes need to be watered regularly. At the end of summer, feed with a mineral complex.
In September, the bush is transshipped into a pot. The container must be chosen deep to fit the root. It is filled with nutrients.

Aquilegia home
Aquilegia is kept in the shade outside until the temperature drops to +1 degrees. Then they are moved to a dark and cool room. A basement will do.
2 months before the expected flowering, the pots are transferred to heat. The temperature must be maintained at 12 - 15 degrees. If the room is dark, then be sure to organize additional lighting. Watering is carried out as the soil dries.
After the plant has faded, it must be returned to flower bed.

medicinal properties

Aquilegia vulgaris Nora Barlow
Traditional medicine does not use aquilegia in pharmacology. Folk, on the contrary, widely applies.
It is believed that it treats diseases such as:
- Hepatitis
- Impotence
- Pneumonia
- stomach cramps
- Mastopathy
- menstrual pain
- Cough
- Skin diseases
- dropsy
Decoctions are made from the plant. Which are used in the form of drinking, lotions, compresses. Raw materials are harvested during the flowering of the plant. Then it is dried. Store in cloth bags.
Aquilegia - poisonous flower

Flowering watershed
Many, having found a recipe for traditional medicine with its content, are trying to get rid of diseases. Without knowing the dosages, this cannot be done. The use is possible only under the supervision of a specialist.
In medieval society, it was believed that aquilegia flowers protect against witchcraft and various corruptions. It was given to loved ones to protect them from misfortune.
Signs of aquilegia poisoning:
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Vomit
- Dizziness
- Drowsiness
- convulsions
- tongue prickling
- Darkening in the eyes
- Poisoned people stop seeing colors
- Heart failure
In case of poisoning, immediate action should be taken:
- call an ambulance
- Drink activated charcoal
- You can give the poisoned drink a raw chicken egg, milk, eat a piece of butter. These foods coat the walls of the stomach, minimizing the absorption of toxins.
- A poisoned person must be put on a heating pad
- Emergency doctors must tell what caused the poisoning
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