Digging deeperPlant Library

Other Names:  Granny's Bonnet, Crowfoot

Description:

Dainty, nodding, bell-shaped red and yellow flowers on a compact, many-branched plant; makes a welcome addition to shade and woodland gardens

Ornamental Features

Little Lanterns Columbine is smothered in stunning nodding red bell-shaped flowers with yellow overtones at the ends of the stems from late spring to early summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive lobed compound leaves remain bluish-green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Little Lanterns 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

Little Lanterns Columbine is recommended for the following landscape applications;

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

Planting & Growing

Little Lanterns Columbine will grow to be only 6 inches tall at maturity extending to 10 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 10 inches. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the ground. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 5 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 selection of a native North American species.

Little Lanterns Columbine is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the larger thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.