A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Gardening in the Shade Aquilegia (Columbine)

Does it need to grow in the shade?

No, Enrique. Mine do well in full sun here. And they grow well in part shade too.

I know it says they can be grown well in full sun, and my father's is beautiful on the south side of his garage--where there is very little shade--

but mine was on the west side of the house, and had morning shade and afternoon full sun---it died. Mind you it took 2 years, since it came back the second year, (only green part grew both years)-- I am almost positive it will not come back next year.

Columbine are short lived perennials. They are only good for about three years according to my books. So I have had most for two or three seasons and then they die on me. But there are usually plenty of babies to take their places.

yes, well my dad's re-seed themselves for sure-----

when I am feeling bettwer I am going to see if I can talk my DH into letting me make a flower bed on the north side of the house for such flowers....

When I dig up the little volunteer seedlings to move them where I want them to grow, I do try to make sure the babies have some shade to start. Even if half under another plant. They seem to do better that way; not dry out.

I can get young plants to grow in the early spring & summer on the west side of my house (where my flower beds are) but along about July--it is too much for them, so perhaps one day I will find a proper place for them.

Columbine are summer dormant. It doesn't have anything to do with their location. And they are a short lived perennial. Their life expectancy is 7 years with their 3 and 4th year being their best blooming year. So expect to see them in late spring early summer each year but not later on.

This is a surprise to me, Tammy. I have been growing columbines for many years and can keep them blooming all summer with deadheading. I don't always because I want them to seed for me. Mine stay green all summer until fall when they die back to the crown in early to mid fall. And I have some of the harshest summers.
Mine almost always bloom after the first full year of growth and only continue for 3-4 years before dying completely. But like I've said, the seedlings have taken over by then and I always have the next crop going for future blooms. I have never had success with packaged seeds so they do best from fresh seeds for me.
I'll need to research your theory.

It might have something to do with you being in southern california. You can do many things in your climate that the rest of us can't do. For instance mine go completely underground come winter with not even a crown showing.

Well, yes, I realize. I never completely lose mine most years. By the time the tops are dying back in fall, the new growth is beginning to show for the next spring through summer show. But it was the "summer dormant" that got me. I haven't read that anywhere. I have brutal summers and my bleeding hearts go dormant (and most often never wake up again) like they are supposed to. But not the columbines.
And I ran off to read my books again. My "bible" says to cut back stems for a second flush of blooms. Then let the second set go to seed. And short lived 3-4 years. This has always worked for me even in Connecticut and Rochester, NY. It is my all time favorite flower.

Mine only flower here in late spring, and only in almost full shade. I do get many seedlings, which I nurse along, but they do not bloom the first year. I've never been able to get them to bloom a second time either.

I did move my 3 biggest ones - not really all that big - last summer, so I'll have to wait and see what this year brings with them. I moved them closer to the trunk of the white birch tree that they are planted under, where they will actually get MORE shade than they have been getting. And hopefully the leaf miners will not find them there - they have been awful some years!