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Aquilegia elegantula

Shooting-star Columbine · Western Red Columbine

Family RanunculaceaeGenus Aquilegia

A low plant of rounded three-lobed leaves with several small red and yellow nodding flowers on thin stems
The whole plantDave Powell, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.orgPublic domain

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
Red, yellow-greenFlora of North America
Native range
Arizona, Colorado, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, New Mexico, UtahGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Flora of North America — Flora of North America Editorial Committee; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Elegantula means "little elegant one". The western red columbine is pollinated by the broad-tailed hummingbird. It makes more nectar than Aquilegia micrantha, about 3.9 microlitres a day against 2.45, so where both grow it is likely the more attractive flower to hummingbirds. Wikipedia: Aquilegia elegantula

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

100% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Aquilegia p. 97Public domain
Show the original text
Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae). Three treatments gave germination, and all other treatments failed. The three were (a) treatment of fresh or DS seed with GA-3 at 70, (b) sowing of OS seed at 70, and (c) outdoor treatment. All three of the treatments were used In only a few of the species so that it is not certain that all three will work with every species. Stewart and Presley (ref. 9) were the first to report that GA-3 was valuable in stimulating the germination of A. elegantula germ. 70 GA-3(100% in 4th w) and none in 70 or 40-70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Aquilegia p. 97. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Aquilegia p. 97Public domain
Show the original text
Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae). Three treatments gave germination, and all other treatments failed. The three were (a) treatment of fresh or DS seed with GA-3 at 70, (b) sowing of OS seed at 70, and (c) outdoor treatment. All three of the treatments were used In only a few of the species so that it is not certain that all three will work with every species. Stewart and Presley (ref. 9) were the first to report that GA-3 was valuable in stimulating the germination of A. elegantula germ. 70 GA-3(100% in 4th w) and none in 70 or 40-70.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Aquilegia p. 97. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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