Rob's plants home garden plants wildlife seed photos plant sale journal topics plantlinks fun guestbook Aquilegia atrata

 

Common name dark columbine Family ranunculaceae Life cycle perennial (Z3-8) Flowers deep burgundy Size 24-36" Light sun-part shade From seed germinates at room temperature detailed seed-starting info below Most likely, another charming short-lived perennial. I've started this species from two batches of seed, from trades several years apart. The photos at bottom were taken of different plants from the first seed batch. Not pure-bred, it appears, and not as deeply colored as I expected. Plants from the second batch, illustrated in the photo above, are closer to the mark.

We left this plant behind in our Pennsylvania garden (and wish it well); we don't grow it in Houston.

Seed for this plant is included on my seed trade list

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Seed-starting details for this plant

2006. Seed from '05 trade. Baggy 65F (26%G, 14-29d). Seeds became covered in black mold within a few days, but this didn't seem to matter.
2007. Same seed as above. Tried baggy 65F (no G, 5w) and baggy 35F (8w) - 70F (no G, 19d)
2011. Seed from '10 trade. Baggy 70F (5w) - 35F (5w) - 70F (5w; no G)
2012. Same seed as above, cold-stored through summer. Baggy 35F (35%G, 10-16w) - 70F (29%G, 9d)

A long period of cold appears to be the ticket to get these to germinate.

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