General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Tolerates wide range of soils except heavy, poorly drained ones. Prefers rich, moist soils with light to moderate shade. Remove flowering stems after bloom to encourage additional bloom. Keep soils uniformly moist after bloom to prolong attractive foliage appearance. When foliage depreciates, plants may be cut to the ground. This cultivar reportedly may be grown from seed and may self-seed in the garden under optimum growing conditions. However, different varieties of columbine may cross-pollinate in the garden producing seed that is at variance with either or both parents.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Var. pumila is a very compact columbine which typically grows in a mound to only 6-9" tall. It is a bushy, clump-forming perennial that features short-spurred (incurved), nodding, light to sky blue flowers with white sepals. Biternate to triternate, almost fern-like foliage shape is somewhat suggestive of meadow rue (Thalictrum). Leaflets of plants of this species are rounded and fan-shaped thus giving rise to the common name of fan columbine. Blooms in spring. Aquilegia comes from the Latin word for eagle in reference to the flower's five spurs which purportedly resemble an eagle's talon. Synonymous with A. f. 'Nana'.