Dwarf Columbine 'Little Lanterns'
Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns'
Wild columbine at half the size: red-and-yellow blooms on a plant 8 to 12 inches tall, right for containers, rock gardens, and border fronts.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Sep 248 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Sep 258 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Sep 268 AM – 2 PM
The compact columbine for small spaces and containers. same hummingbird value as the species in a perfectly scaled-down form.
'Little Lanterns' is a dwarf selection of Wild Columbine that produces the same charming red-and-yellow nodding flowers as the species but on a plant that tops out at 8 to 12 inches, about half the size of the standard form. This makes it better suited to container gardens, rock gardens, the very front of a border, or any situation where the full-sized columbine would simply be too large. The flowers appear in April and May, attracting the same ruby-throated hummingbirds right on schedule. The compact size doesn't diminish the flower quality at all: each bloom is just as well-formed and just as vivid as the standard species. It self-sows modestly, producing offspring that are reliably dwarf and red-and-yellow. For smaller garden spaces, this is the columbine to choose.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown dwarf columbine 'little lanterns' propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 8"–1' · 8–12 in wide
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Red
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Native range
- Species native to eastern North America; 'Little Lanterns' is a compact dwarf cultivar
Care notes for dwarf columbine 'little lanterns'.
Plant in full sun to part shade in average to dry, well-drained soil. Excellent for containers. pair with spring bulbs in a container for an early-season combination. Deadhead if you want to reduce self-seeding. Allow to seed out for naturalization. Individual plants are short-lived but colonies self-renew. Keep moist in containers; in the ground it's quite drought-tolerant.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside dwarf columbine 'little lanterns'.
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