Aquilegia hybrida Firecracker - Columbine

Aquilegia 'Firecracker' is a hardy herbaceous perennial, as easy to grow as a wild columbine. It blooms from spring until early summer. Its elegant flowers bear long spurs and combine flamboyant shades of canary-yellow, vivid orange, and fiery red, tempered by blue-green foliage. This unpretentious plant brings dynamism and cheer to the garden. It is easy to grow in any terrain and requires no special care. It naturalises easily in rockeries and borders.

Aquilegia vulgaris belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. 'Firecracker' is a cultivar derived from this species, native to Europe, North America, and temperate Asia, where it grows in meadows and clearings in deciduous woodlands. It is a very hardy herbaceous perennial, forming an upright, leafy clump, 50cm (20in) tall and 40cm (16in) wide, from which long flowering stems branch upwards. From May to June, up to 60cm (24in) tall stems rise, bearing charming single flowers. They are light, with long horned spurs. The corollas mix orange and flaming red around a bright yellow central corolla. Its deciduous blue-green foliage is quite decorative, and the cut of the basal leaves gives a feeling of lightness.

Columbines were cultivated in the flower beds of the Middle Ages, and cottage gardens have perpetuated the tradition. Compact and discreet, they are essential in mixed borders, where they bring lightness and whimsy. They can be planted in many places in the garden: in the middle of a perennial bed, in a border, at the base of bushes, at the edge of woodlands, or on an embankment. Take care to leave a space of 20cm (8in) around each plant. They will look stunning when planted in groups to create a dense clump. Pick the flowers when they are barely open to create beautiful country-style bouquets. In flower beds, in a 'cottage garden' style, 'Firecracker' can be planted with all kinds of perennials, such as foxgloves, bleeding hearts, or peach-leaved bellflowers.