Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Wild Columbine, Granny's Bonnet

Description:

Showy, large red nodding flowers with white centers on slender stems with long, graceful spurs; makes for long lasting cutflowers; good for naturalizing partially shaded areas, also deer resistant

Ornamental Features

Swan Red and White Columbine features bold nodding red bell-shaped flowers with white overtones, yellow eyes and white spurs at the ends of the stems from mid spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its ferny compound leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Swan Red and White 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 plant, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects

Swan Red and White Columbine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Swan Red and White Columbine will grow to be about 18 inches tall at maturity extending to 24 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 15 inches. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 6 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant does best in partial shade to 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 is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Swan Red and White Columbine is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.