Ornamental green columbine, Aquilegia viridiflora, aka green-flowering columbine, is one of about 70 Aquilegia species in the Ranunculaceae, or buttercup family.
The species in this genus and their cultivated varieties are suited to cultivation in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9.
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We call columbine an ephemeral because it makes a brief appearance in the spring, often in the company of other early bloomers, like the crocus, hellebore, and snowdrop.
Our guide to growing columbine contains all you need to know to grow Aquilegia of all types.
In 35 Columbine Flowers for the Spring Garden, we share an exciting array of species and cultivars.
The focus of this article is the green columbine, commonly known as chocolate soldier.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Cultivation and HistoryLike other types of Aquilegia, green columbine, A. viridiflora, is a short-lived perennial that lives for two to four years. It has a mounding growth habit and achieves mature dimensions of nine to 12 inches tall and wide.
The leaves are green with a grayish cast. They are compound, consisting of three separate leaflets, and remind me a little of Italian flat-leaf parsley or a cranesbill geranium.
The flowers are fragrant and have nodding heads. They have five light green to greenish-yellow tepals, a center corolla of brownish-purple petals, and curled nectar-filled spurs.
Each bicolor flower measures approximately three-quarters of an inch long.
In Latin, Aquilegia means eagle and this refers to the sepals, which are thought to resemble talons. Viridiflora means
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