Aquilegia is very easy to sow from seed – they are also interfertile, and can be relied on to self sow.
Benifits form the seeds being chilled for a few weeks before sowing to simulate winter, then the seeds need to be warmed to simulate spring.
Light should be excluded once sown using finely sieved seed compost or vermiculite at a depth of around 3mm – 3.5mm or 1/8th".
By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Granny's bonnet about 56 days before your last frost date .
These don’t always come true from seed and some interesting hybrids can be created, but usually turn into a pale version of the flowers heading towards a pale pink.
Seed viability is two years.
These estimates for how long Granny's bonnet takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.
Average 19 days | Min 7 days | Max 139 days (10)
Average 72 days | Min 33 days | Max 498 days (3)
Average 240 days | Min 90 days | Max 663 days (5)
Our when to plant Granny's bonnet estimates are relative to your last frost date.
The name columbine derives from the Latin for ‘dove’ (columba) because many varieties are a bluish colour, like some doves.
The genus name Aquilegia derives from the Latin word for ‘eagle’ (aquila) due to the eagle claw-like shape of the spurred shape of the blossom.
Columbine
Aquilegia x hybrida