Aquilegia viridiflora Seeds | Chocolate Columbine
LATIN NAME: Aquilegia viridiflora
COMMON NAME: Chocolate Columbine, Green Columbine
Plant Profile
Chocolate Columbine (Aquilegia viridiflora) is an unusual herbaceous perennial of the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), native to China, Mongolia and Siberia. It grows 20-40 cm tall, with delicate, divided leaves and nodding, short-spurred flowers of dusky chocolate-purple and green in spring, faintly sweet-scented. Its sombre, sophisticated colouring makes it a collector’s columbine for the rock garden and woodland edge.
Science & Biotechnology
Like other members of the Aquilegia group, Aquilegia viridiflora draws steady attention from botanists and plant breeders, who value the genus both as a subject of research and as a source of garden-worthy material. Its unusual muted colouring has also made it a subject of interest for ornamental breeders exploring less conventional flower colours within an already diverse genus. Little about its garden performance is mysterious; it has been grown and observed for a very long time.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Chocolate Columbine has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. Chocolate columbine is grown as a subtly elegant garden curiosity, valued precisely because its unusual chocolate and green colouring and genuine fragrance set it apart from brighter, showier columbines more commonly seen in gardens. It suits woodland edge or rock garden plantings where a more understated, conversation-piece perennial is wanted. Thereafter it wants only the ordinary attentions any garden plant receives.
Columbine is the graceful spurred flower of cottage gardens, beloved by bumblebees; its folk-medicine record is minor and its seeds are not for use, so it is grown for charm alone.
Growing from Seed
Chocolate Columbine is one of those generous plants that come along well from seed. Sow fine seed onto surface of a loose, well-drained mix without covering it deeply, since light supports germination in this species, and a period of cold, moist stratification improves results. Bright light and cool to moderate temperatures suit young seedlings well, and this compact perennial typically flowers within its second year from seed. Surface-sow onto a light, well-drained compost, dust over a thin covering, and keep evenly moist and sunny until the seedlings show. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
It is a solid representative of the Aquilegia group, true to type from seed. Keep the sowing evenly moist at the start — that is the one real requirement.
Related Reading
Gardeners who grow Chocolate Columbine often pair it with these related subjects: