Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' (Black Barlow columbine) care

Light

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' wants the spot a few feet back from a sunny window — bright enough to read a paperback at noon, but the sun never falls directly on the leaves. Grows well in full sun or part shade. In hot regions, light afternoon shade keeps the foliage fresh and prolongs flowering, while too much deep shade reduces bloom count and produces lankier stems. A faint hand shadow at midday is the right amount; a sharp dark shadow means it's getting direct sun and probably too much.

Watering

Water aquilegia 'black barlow' water when the top 3 cm of soil dries, roughly weekly. The actual day count varies with pot size, light, and season — the finger test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) is more reliable than a fixed calendar. Empty any drainage saucer afterwards so the pot isn't sitting in water. Likes evenly moist but well-drained soil during spring growth and flowering. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but persistent drought triggers early dormancy. A mulch helps retain moisture and keeps roots cool.

Soil and pot

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' grows best in fertile, moist, well-drained loam, neutral to slightly acidic or alkaline. Adaptable across most ordinary garden soils at pH 6.0-7.5, provided drainage is good. It dislikes waterlogged ground, where the crown rots, but otherwise tolerates a wide range, including chalky soils, more readily than the alpine columbines. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' sits happiest at around 40-60% humidity and 13-24°C (55-75°F). A hardy outdoor border perennial needing no special humidity. It does best in temperate, moderately moist conditions; very hot, dry summers can scorch foliage and shorten the flowering display. If you keep the room above 13 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed aquilegia 'black barlow' sparingly. Feed lightly. A spring mulch of compost or one application of balanced general fertiliser is ample. Avoid high-nitrogen feeds, which encourage soft foliage susceptible to mildew at the expense of the tall, well-filled flower spikes. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on aquilegia 'black barlow' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

• Leaf miner — Columbine leaf miners tunnel pale trails through the leaves. Damage is cosmetic only; shear the foliage to the base after flowering to encourage clean new growth.
• Powdery mildew — A white coating develops on stressed or crowded plants in dry summers. Cut back tired foliage post-bloom, water at the base, and space plants for good airflow.
• Seedling variability — Although fairly true from seed, self-sown 'Black Barlow' seedlings can drift in colour and form. Deadhead to limit spread, or rogue out off-types to keep the dark-flowered character.
• Crown rot in wet ground — Heavy, waterlogged winter soil rots the crown. Plant in well-drained soil and avoid sites where water sits to ensure the clump survives cold, wet seasons.

Propagation

Propagate from seed, which comes largely (though not perfectly) true for this double form; sow fresh or cold-stratify before spring sowing. It self-seeds freely. The taproot dislikes disturbance, so transplant young seedlings rather than dividing mature crowns. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' is mildly toxic to pets. Aquilegia (columbine) is not individually listed by the ASPCA, so its pet status is not confirmed; treat with caution and verify with a vet. Columbine tissues contain cyanogenic glycosides, most concentrated in seeds and roots, and ingestion can cause vomiting and diarrhoea. As a safe label cannot be confirmed against ASPCA, keep pets from grazing the plant. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of aquilegia 'black barlow' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' watering schedule
• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' light requirements
• Best soil mix for aquilegia 'black barlow'
• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' fertilizing guide
• When to repot aquilegia 'black barlow'
• How to propagate aquilegia 'black barlow'
• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' growth rate & size
• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' cold hardiness
• Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' temperature & humidity
• Is aquilegia 'black barlow' toxic to cats & dogs?
• Is aquilegia 'black barlow' toxic to cats?
• Is aquilegia 'black barlow' toxic to dogs?
• Getting aquilegia 'black barlow' to bloom

Featured in these plant shortlists

Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' qualifies for 6 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

• Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
• Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
• Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
• Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
• Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
• Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
• Browse all 29 plant shortlists — pet-safe, low-light, drought-tolerant and more

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Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' is also commonly called Black Barlow columbine or granny's bonnet.

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