Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier’ on 4-18-12, #87-5.
Green Flowered Columbine
‘Chocolate Soldier’ Columbine
Aquilegia viridiflora
Ack-wi-LEE-gee-lah vir-id-uh-FLOR-uh
Aquilegia viridiflora Pall. is the accepted scientific name for this species of Aquilegia. It was first described by Peter (Pyotr) Simon von Pallas in Acta Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitani in 1779.
The genus, Aquilegia L., was named and described as such by Carl von Linnaeus in the first volume of the first edition of Species Plantarum in 1753.
As of 12-23-23 when this page was last updated, Plants of the World Online lists 130 species in the genus Aquilegia. It is a member of the plant family Ranunculaceae with 51 genera. Those numbers could change as updates are made on POWO.
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Aquilegia viridiflora ‘Chocolate Soldier’ flower on 4-18-12, #87-6.
I brought my ‘Chocolate Soldier’ Columbine home from Lowe’s in the spring of 2012. I was kind of shocked when it flowered because I was expecting something MUCH larger. The leaves are kind of blueish-green. The whole plant is kind of a miniature Aquilegia. These would be great in mass plantings under light shade or filtered shade. I really liked this plant, but I left it behind when I moved back to Missouri.
USEFUL INFORMATION:
Common Name: Columbine
Family: Ranunculaceae
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Origin: China, Japan, and Russia (Siberia)
Zones: USDA 3-8
Size: Up to 12” tall x 12” wide
Flowers: Chocolaty purple petals with greenish sepals
Bloom Time: April through May
Light: Full sun to part shade. Mine grew in the morning sun and filtered shade in the afternoon.
Water: Medium
Soil: Average, medium moisture, well-drained soil. Prefers a deep, rich soil that is moist but well-drained. They will tolerate a wide range of soils except heavy and poorly drained. Soil should be uniformly moist to keep the foliage attractive.
Maintenance: Low. Remove dead flowers to promote new bloom. The plant should be cut to the ground after flowering and the foliage starts to brown in midsummer.
I enjoyed growing this plant and maybe someday I will find another. I also would like to try other species. They reseed freely and the various species and cultivars will cross-pollinate so on occasion you may be in for a surprise.
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The Belmont Rooster 