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Aquilegia fragrans

Fragrant Columbine · Sweet-scented Columbine

Family RanunculaceaeGenus Aquilegia

Cream flowers with broad pale petals and a center of yellow stamens, nodding on dark red stems
FlowerGhislain118 (AD) http://www.fleurs-des-montagnes.netCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
Whitish, pale purpleWikipedia
Native range
Afghanistan, Pakistan, West HimalayaGBIF 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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Two sources report three treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

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

60% germination in 14–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Aquilegia p. 21Public domain
Show the original text
Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae). In genera! Aquilegia require GA-3 for germination, but this can sometimes be replaced by light or DS. A. fragrans germ. 70L(6/10 in 2-4 w), 70 GA-3(3/10 in 2nd w), and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Aquilegia p. 21. 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, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 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 14 days to germinate.

30% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Aquilegia p. 21Public domain
Show the original text
Aquilegia (Ranunculaceae). In genera! Aquilegia require GA-3 for germination, but this can sometimes be replaced by light or DS. A. fragrans germ. 70L(6/10 in 2-4 w), 70 GA-3(3/10 in 2nd w), and 70D(none).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Aquilegia p. 21. 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 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around September 17, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on September 16, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

17% germination.

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. fragrans germ. 70-40-70(2/12) with no germination in four additional cycles.
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.

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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