Plant Identification

Hello

Having a 'new' garden, I'm quite fortunate in some respects to know EVERYTHING that grows in my garden. However, some time ago I purchased a plant that came in a box ... When I got it home, I discovered I had purchased a root (quite a thick root). It did have a picture and a name however, I misplaced the box!

So, the plant ... THE ONE AT THE FRONT (in front of the viburnum tinus)



Green foliage with leaf shapes changing from the bottom to the top.
Small delicate black (dark purple flowers) - Unfortunately I dead headed them a while back, so cannot take a close up. The flowers are so delicate that if you brush up against them, they fall from the plant.
I would imagine it tolerates shade as I don't think I would have planted it in shade unless it advised to ...
I cut it back quite a lot recently as there appeared to be some mildew on the leaves and after I cut it back the foliage really had expanded, the foliage seems to grow back very quickly. At least I hope so now, as yesterday it suffered a trauma underneath a big dogs paw!!!

It appears to be hardy as it has survived a coastal winter

Happy to answer any questions and look forward to hopefully finding out what he/she is ...

Thanks

Chris

 

Hi Chris the plant at the front is an Aquilegia. They really are quite lovely.

 

They certainly are, although I will have to do a bit of research now as I've been 'winging' the care of her so to speak!

Thank you so much ... It really does amaze me how people can look at a dodgy photo of a plant and identify it so quickly. Hopefully in a few years I might be able to start doing that.

 

It is definitely an Aquilegia. I would be careful of these. They are very pretty but are prolific self seeders and once the root is well established difficult to pull out. I've just put weed killer on a whole bunch ( I very rarely us weed killer) as I'm so sick of them over taking every nook and cranny they can find. If you dead head them before the heads dry up though, you should be fine.

 

Thanks for the heads up Mamashoe.

 

Beautiful things and well worth keeping in my very humble opinion. I have grown heaps of them this year in an amazing range of colours.

 

Carrie Thomas knows these inside out, but not seen her on the forum for a while, pretty sure
that these are a short lived plant: ie: 3 - 5 years so collect seeds whilst you can.

 

Sadly most of the self seeders tend to be insipid colours. I did luck in and get a green tinged white flowering plant this year. But on the whole I pull/dig most of them out, and never let them go to seed as they cross pollinate and/or revert.