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California Gardening

Need Imput on Columbine

16 years ago

I got this delightful little plant a few months ago and it seems to like the place I picked out for it. It bloomed and I let the blooms go to seed. Well the pods have matured and I think ready to be taken off the plant, but I now have a whole new flush of blooms. Since I know nothing about this plant, I would appreciate any hints as to its quirks, temperment, etc.

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Comments (4)

gobluedjm 9/18 CA
16 years ago
I put in 3 this year and once blooms are spent I keep them deadheaded and they keep producing more.
Not sure once aud-sept rolls around how they will do.
I do hope their can survive the heat then and come back next year.
lusty
16 years ago
My western columbine keep putting out new leaves, but no signs of any blooms yet :-( I planted them late--I think end of March--but it sounds like I could have still expected blooms. I'm afraid mine get a little too much sun. They were getting more shade when I first planted them, before the sun moved higher in the sky. Now they get several hours of direct mid-day sun each day.
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calpat
Original Author
16 years ago
Responses sound like we're all experimenting and that's good, especially if we can share some of the growing data. I guess I'll just keep track of what this plant is doing. It seems to like the area it's in, gets a couple of early a.m. sun hours, then shade the rest of the day, in fact it shares space with some Hostas that are growing like crazy this year. Any further info. you get hopefully you'll share with me!TIA Pat
youreit
16 years ago
Pat, that looks like the same columbine my mom has (I have the western native one). She planted hers last year, and after disappearing over winter, it returned and bloomed its head off this year. I believe she deadheads hers, as well, and it sounds like you both have yours in the same growing conditions.

My 3-yr.-old (at least) western columbine gets mostly shady conditions, deep weekly water, and I don't deadhead as soon as I would with a hybrid, since the finches seem to like the seeds...and I'm hoping some will reseed. I gave some seed to my mom, and they started for her quite easily. The plants are still fairly small, but hopefully, she'll have blooms next year.

Since yours is putting out new leaves (I assume they look healthy?), Lusty, it sounds like it's happy. It may have been planted too late in the year to gear up for blooming, but it sounds like you'll get some next year. They're worth the wait. Aphids really like mine, but the birds love the aphids, too. :)

Brenda

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