I have found columbine one of the easiest and most dependable winter sown seed and I see plenty of self seeding going on in the yard too. Do you happen to have bark mulch down? That will limit the amount of self seeding.

Mine are starting to pop up in my containers have 6 so far.

Where did you get your seeds? It does help if the seed is relatively fresh, though I have had some success with seed that is a couple of years old. I usually end up with more seedlings than I know what to do with. But I must say that purchased seed doesn't germinate as well as seed from my own plants.

Becky

I dont think I have sown any in containers, usually direct sow. But they were bought seed from ebay and traded .
Tammy

Hi Tammy,

I have had mixed results with columbines. I have only winter sown them and some came up and others didn't.

I should have lots of seeds this year if you want to give them a try again.

Lisa

Hi Tammy!

I would definitely try them in containers - wintersown! I have never grown columbine before, but I know how over 100 plants, they did great and are doing great. 7 different varieties, and they all did well. Not sure if it matters, but I did use sterile soil with all my winter sown containers.. I too should have lots of seed (once I figure out how to collect them) if you are interested in trying again next year. If you were closer, I'd be happy to share some plants!!!
Lisa/zone 7b NC

Thanks so much to both of you for your very generous offer. I would love to take you up on it. I have been trying for two yrs to try and get some of those pretty many petaled columbines.My original purple one came from my father in law's greenhouse many,many yrs ago. he is long gone now and so is the greenhouse.

Lisa in NC, the seeds are very easy, when the flowers die and dry up, they kinda form a cup, just pluck it off and turn it over and they spill out. Lots of seeds per flower.
Tammy

Last year (my first to WS) I was really excited to set multiple jugs of columbine seeds out in the cold. They were seeds I harvested from my own plants. They didn't germinate and I gave them plenty of time--well into June & July.

Fast forward to this WS season. I was determined to try again and WS columbine seeds from a few trades. Lo and behold, I've got lots of sprouts. If they ever send up some true leaves I'll post photos but for now they're just sprouts like many others.

Whoever said Mother Nature is fickle said a cotton-pickin' mouthful!!! As if to thumb her nose at my seed-sowing, there are at least 3 columbine seedlings that come up every year in the cracks in my concrete breezeway and garden path. Can't dig 'em out so that's where they're likely to remain.

OT - does anyone know why some columbine plants get chewed down to the stems while others are lush with leaves?

Tammy,
I have only wintersown mine and they are so easy. They reseed and like Johnny Jump Ups..you'll find them where you didn't plant them but they are so beautiful and gives off long lasting colors in your beds.

does anyone know why some columbine plants get chewed down to the stems while others are lush with leaves?

Could be that slugs have sound some of your columbine. Some seem to be "more tasty" than others to the 4 legged critters. NO idea why, but that seems to happen with lots of plants from the same type and variety.

Some varieties of columbine require a longer cold stratification than others, some require little or no cold stratification.

The one thing to do for sure, is if your columbine seeds have not germinated this year, then put the containers aside, keep them watered throughout the spring, summer, and fall and leave them out there over next winter as well.

You very well could be pleasantly surprised next spring with germination in those containers.

I had that happen last spring and this spring as well.

Fran

I WS'nd Magpie last year and it returned!!!!!!! If it blooms I would be happy to share seeds. Magpie is supposed to be black....we shall see. (I hope)

Does anyone know why some columbine plants get chewed down to the stems while others are lush with leaves?

I'd put my money on sawfly larvae. Examine your plants- the larvae look like tiny green caterpillars, hard to see, and they'll eat the leaves down to the midveins. I used to have a lot of columbines but gave most away because the sawflies made them so butt ugly. (I don't use poisons in my garden). This year, I have no bugs yet.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: sawfly larvae

Ditto what Karen said about columbine sawfly larvae - they will just about defoliate the plants overnight here. My neighbor was blaming deer with the here-one-day-gone-the-next leaves, it was that fast.

Thanks Fran, Karen & Morz. I'm going to assume the sawfly larvae is the culprit since I've seen them in years past devasting columbine foliage. I just didn't catch on that they prefer some columbines to others. I have a few plants that are virtually untouched while others are completely denuded. Slugs are a problem here but I sprinkled crushed eggshells around all my hostas and things they like to chew on. Guess I should have sprinkled them around the columbines too. Lesson learned.