Aquilegia vulgaris
| Aquilegia vulgaris | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 4 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 3' |
| Width: | 2' |
| Blooms: | Mid Spring-Mid Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Aquilegia vulgaris (common name: columbine)
Propagation: Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be slow to germinate[1]. Stored seed can be sown in late winter in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring[1].
Cultivation: Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, preferring a moist but not wet soil and a sunny position[2]. Thrives in partial shade[2][3]. Intolerant of heavy clay[1].
Plants are hardy to at least -25°c[4].
Whilst the blue-flowered forms of this species have no scent, white flowered forms have a soft clove scent in order to attract pollinating insects[5].
Most species are short-lived, dying out after 2 - 3 years, though they usually produce seed prolifically[1]. This species usually self-sows freely in the garden, it is very apt to hybridize with other members of the genus and usually becomes the dominant partner in any hybridization[1].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[6].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[7][8]. It also attracts red spider mites to the garden, these can then move on to other crops such as apples, pears and strawberries[8]. It grows well with rhubarb[8].
Range: Central and southern Europe, including Britain, south and east to N. Africa and Temperate China.
Habitat: Moist shady positions, especially on calcareous soils or fenland peat[9][10][11].
Edibility: Flowers - raw. Rich in nectar, they are sweet and delightful[12], they make a very attractive addition to mixed salads and can also be used as a thirst-quenching munch in the garden[K].
The flowers are also used as a tea substitute[13].
Medicinal: Columbine was formerly employed in herbal medicine mainly for its antiscorbutic effect, but it has fallen out of favour and is little used nowadays[14].
The leaves root and seed are astringent, depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, parasiticide[15][9][16][17][18]. Because of its toxic properties, this plant should not be taken internally without expert advice, though the root is sometimes used externally in poultices to treat ulcers and the commoner skin diseases[9][14]. The plant can be harvested at any time from June to October[9]. Columbine has produced very unsatisfactory results and is not normally used medicinally[15].
A homeopathic remedy is made from the plant[9]. It is used in the treatment of affections of the nervous system[9].
Usage: The seed is used as a parasiticide to rid the hair of lice[12]. The dried and crushed seed is used to kill external body parasites[19].
Pollinators: Bees
Soil: Can grow in light and medium soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Seed Ripens: Mid Summer-Late Summer
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The plant is poisonous though the toxins are destroyed by heat or by drying[9][17]. Although this plant contains alkaloids, no cases of poisoning to humans or other mammals have been recorded[20].
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Sanders, Thomas. Popular Hardy Perennials. Collingridge, 1926.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Thomas, Graham. Perennial Garden Plants. J. M. Dent & Sons, 1990.
- ↑ Hatfield, Audrey. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd, 1974.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Allardice, Pamela. A-Z of Companion Planting. Cassell Publishers, 1993.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Brown, George. Shade Plants for Garden and Woodland.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Schofield, Janice. Discovering Wild Plants.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.
- ↑ Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ de Bray, Lys. The Wild Garden.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.