Such hubris we humans have, “improving” upon Mother Nature…
Okay, so I’m as guilty as the next person for buying into it. This is, obviously, a dwarf variety of columbine.
Hey, the poor plants were suffering a long and lingering death as discounted, past-their-prime flowers at a retail store and besides, they’re purple!
One of the taller varieties (see above rationalization) seeded itself into the dwarf pot. Good thing, as the rootstock for the larger colorful columbines is gone. (Well, there are all of those years-worth of seed pods all over the kitchen hutch…)
But I also have the “real” thing! Two years ago the (cultivated) white columbines bloomed first and reigned supreme.
Only a few are blooming now.
This year the red has taken over.
Many thanks to SW for offering me native plant sale leftovers many years ago! Truly a gift that keeps on giving.
(Shame about the ironweed, though. Hardy stuff, that; it keeps trying but the deer keep shearing it off when it gets about knee high… Perhaps it too would prefer living on the deck in a container as much as the columbines do.)
