William Guinness Columbine

Other Names: Magpie

Description:

A unique variation of Colombine, featuring deep purlple-blue flowers with yellow centers and highly contrasting white spurs above the dense green foliage mound; visually riveting, this variety is best placed for up close viewing

Ornamental Features:

William Guinness Columbine features showy nodding deep purple bell-shaped flowers with black overtones, yellow eyes and white centers at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer, which emerge from distinctive black flower buds. The flowers are excellent for cutting. It's lobed compound leaves remain green in colour throughout the season. The fruit is not ornamentally significant.

Landscape Attributes:

William Guinness Columbine is an herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other garden plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

William Guinness Columbine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use
• Border Edging
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Groundcover
• Container Planting

Plant Characteristics:

William Guinness Columbine will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 18 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by seed.

This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.