Saving columbine seed

[ltilton]

I’ve got a columbine flowering now that I’d like to grow from seed. How do you pollinate and collect the seeds so they have a better chance of coming true?

[PharmerDrewee]

Mine self pollinates. Just wait until the seed pods open up at the top and you can squeeze the seeds out before they are dispersed. They have to be black to be mature.

[ltilton]

But will they have crossed with other varieties growing nearby?

[galinas]

I never pollinate mine, I never actually seed them, they do it on their own - whole my yard is full of them now. What is interesting, I had dark violet double columbine I bought few years ago as a plant. Now I have double white, double blue and double dark violet everywhere. I guess they all came from that parent plant with color variation.

[galinas]

I guess they could.

[ltilton]

I found a violet columbine growing here, saved the seed, planted it, and now I have lots of them. Very pleased with them. But there are also different colors. I’d really like to get this red one to breed true.

[jcguarneri]

Is it the native Aquilegia canadensis?

https://gobotany.nativeplanttrust.org/species/aquilegia/canadensis/

[ltilton]

No, I believe it’s a hybrid. I think it’s one that I bought and planted elsewhere last year, but they all died by spring. How this one ended up in another bed is a mystery.