Aquilegia Crimson Star is a beautiful, striking variety of aquilegia. This plant blooms with beautiful red and white flowers and red spurs. It grows on thin stems surrounded by light green leaves. The name aquilegia comes from the Latin word aquilia, meaning eagle, which refers to the striking spurs of the flower that closely resemble the talons of an eagle. Aquilegia Crimson Star prefers a sunny spot with partial shade and shelter from the wind. It also needs good drainage because it doesn't like wet feet. It belongs to the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), as do: Field buttercup, Alpine aquilegia, Alpine anemone, Blue anemone, blue monkshood, wood anemone, wood buttercup, woodbine, Christoffel's herb, marsh marigold, love-in-the-mist, Christmas rose, spring rose, oriental anemone, ranunculus, sharp buttercup, black cumin and summer adonis. These are generally all flowering plants in different colours. Very suitable as an eye-catcher in the border, for growing in flower pots or containers and as a cut flower. This plant flowers from May till July. Because this plant self-seeds very easily, it is also ideal for a spot in a wild or natural garden. This hardy perennial flowers in the second year after sowing. Remove dead flowers regularly to enjoy this beautiful and striking appearance in the garden for even longer. Very popular with bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Aquilegia Crimson Star loses its leaves in winter. Hardy perennial. Height: 60 - 70 cm.
Caution: All parts of this plant and the seeds are poisonous!
Indoor sowing: March - April
Outdoor sowing: April - end of June
Germination: 14 - 42 days
Germination temp.: 15 - 21 °C
Sowing depth: shallow - ¼ cm
Plant distance: 30 - 35 cm
Plant position: sunny - half shade
Flowering period: May - July
Sow indoors in trays filled with moist potting soil from March on. Sow thinly and shallow and press the seeds gently in the soil. Don't cover the seeds with soil, but use a very thin layer of vermiculite to cover the seeds. Put the trays away at a temperature of approx. 15-21°C. Germination can take up to 2 - 6 weeks. Keep the temperature as even as possible and don't let the temperature drop during the night. Keep moist. Cover the trays with a lid to retain the moisture.
Remove the lid when the seedlings emerge. Transplant the seedlings, when they've two pairs of true leaves, to seperate pots. Harden the seedlings of by putting the outdoors during the day for approx. 10 - 14 days from the beginning of May. Or put the seedlings in a cold frame from the beginning of May. Put the seedlings outdoors from the middle of May, when there's no longer any risk of night frosts. Give them a sunny plot with some shade and shelter against the wind. Aquilegia hates wet soil so give them very good drainage. Keep the plants 30 - 35 cm apart.
Sow outdoors from April till the end of June. Sow thinly and shallow in a well prepared seedbed with moist and loosened soil. Press the seeds gently in the soil and cover them with a very thin layer of soil or sand. Keep moist and weedfree. Thin the seedlings, when they're large enough to handle, to 5 cm apart. Plant the flowers on their definitive spot in September - October. Keep 30 - 35 cm apart. Fertilizing isn't necessary and to much manure can cause the plants to hang their heads. Aquilegia can reseed itself very easily and therefore it's very well suited for the cottage garden or a wild garden. You can also sow this plant on site in borders or meadows. It flowers in the second year after sowing. Deadhead regurlarly to prolong the flowering period.
