SEMIAQUILEGIA ECALCARATA

Description

This delightful and graceful plant forms a mound or tuft of finely divided, ferny-looking leaves, bearing upright stems with graceful nodding flowers in shades of deep violet to wine purple during late spring and early summer. A rare plant, native to open woodlands in China, it is a very close cousin to the normal aquilegias differing in that the flowers lack the usual spurs at the back. This is a superb plant for edging, in the rock garden or bright woodland.

Sowing Advice

For best results, sow immediately onto a good soil-based compost. Cover the seeds with fine grit or compost to approximately their own depth. They can be sown at any time, and germination can sometimes be quicker if kept at 15 to 20 degrees C. We sow most seeds in an unheated greenhouse and wait for natural germination, as many seeds have built-in dormancy mechanisms, often waiting for natural spring germination, hence giving them a full season of growth.

Key Facts