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Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ (Magpie Columbine) is the perfect flower to bring the fun of the Irish into the shade under trees and shrubs.
If you love that favourite Irish tipple Guinness – you will be a fan of Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’.
The blooms are the dark, rich colour of a good stout, and they even have a froth of white frills on their skirts.
Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ is also the flower of choice for Collingwood Football Club fans - the “black & white” blooms are commonly called ‘Magpie’ Columbines.
‘William Guiness’ is a prolific bloomer, tall and stately.
It makes a striking show of flowers in the shade during spring and early summer, provides excellent cut flowers.
So it is tough, hardy and invaluable under trees and shrubs.
While the grey-green ferny foliage makes handsome groundcover all year round.
GROWING: Aquilegia vulgaris 'William Guiness'
Height with flowers: 70 cm. High branching flower stems with flocks of flowers.
Width: 50cm. Wide evergreen clump of ferny foliage.
Position: Plant in a shaded, semi shaded, to sunny position. Aquilegias thrive in the dappled shade under trees and shrubs, and under deciduous trees.
However this hardy variety can also thrive in full sun, but it will need more mulch in hotter areas.
Growth: Hardy and long-lived, evergreen perennial clump.
And plants will also self-seed babies around themselves in suitable conditions.
Soil: Aquilegia can thrive in a variety of soils, from sandy to clay based. And they can cope with pH on either the acid or alkaline side of neutral.
Soil enriched with compost and mulch is perfect.
However all soils must be well drained because Aquilegia hate being waterlogged.
Frost: Very frost hardy. Aquilegia plants are able to cope with hard frosts, down to at least -15C, depending on conditions.
Water: Aquilegias are not thirsty, water-demanding plants. Especially when they are grown in their preferred positions in the semi-shade under trees and shrubs. Here they can resist periods of dry, requiring no more than average garden watering in warmer periods.
Pots: Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ is excellent in a decorative pot, where both flowers and foliage contribute.
Cut Flowers: Aquilegia vulgaris ‘William Guiness’ gives excellent cut flowers for a vase. With striking flowers and long strong stems. Cut blooms can last for up to 2 weeks indoors.
Bees & Birds: The flowers provide nectar for bees, and are also visited by butterflies, moths, and other beneficial pollinating insects.
Care & Maintenance: Easy care, low maintenance plant.
If you wish to prevent baby Aquilegias from popping up you can trim off spent flower stems.
Or you can leave seed pods to self-sow more babies around the parent plant. Aquilegias are never annoying or a nuisance.
Fertilizer: Quality fertilizer such as Powerfeed can be applied in spring and autumn.
We also recommend to water in with Seasol at planting.
Pruning: You can cut the clump back to the socks to re-generate fresh, new leaves if necessary. However, Aquilegia do not need any regular pruning other than to trim off spent flower stems once a year.
Pests & Diseases: Rarely troubled by any pests or diseases.
Deer & Rabbit resistant: Aquilegia have an unpalatable taste to both rabbits and deer because of compounds in the leaves. So the chewing pests tend to leave Aquilegia plants alone.
Herbal uses: Aquilegia vulgaris was historically used for herbal medicine by treating infected wounds with teas and poultices.
However, the consumption and internal use of Aquilegia is not recommended by modern science. Thankfully deer and rabbits seem to know this too.
While the most popular historic use of Aquilegia was as a treatment treating head lice. So seeds would be ground up and rubbed into lice-ridden hair.
Happily, our modern chemists have less labour-intensive treatments on their shelf.
History: The name Aquilegia originates from Latin where the word for eagle is "aquila".
So Aquilegia because the shape of the spurred flower does indeed resemble the claw of an eagle.
The common name "Columbine" also comes from Latin where the word “columba” means "dove". So when we call them Columbines, we refer to an Aquilegia bloom resembling five doves billing and cooing together.
Origin: Aquilegia vulgaris, in very many varieties and forms, is a native to the woodlands of Europe. Because it is such a hardy and adaptable plant it is widespread across the continent and able to develop so many highly attractive variations.
Quarantine Restriction: Can be shipped to all states except WA from Di’s Delightful Plants - one of Australia’s largest on-line nursery and mail order plant services.
Bulk Discount
If you buy 3-6 plants there will be a $0.50 discount per plant"
If you buy 7+ plants there will be a $1.00 discount per plant
Plants on Special are excluded
