Earlybird™ Mixture Aquilegia

Earlybird™ Mixture Columbine is a compact hybrid columbine sold as a mix within PanAmerican Seed’s Earlybird series. The series forms well-mounded plants with relatively short stems and a concentrated flowering period, making it suitable for a small border, a woodland edge, or a container where the mixed display can be enjoyed close up. The mixture combines the series’ named color forms; the exact color balance in any packet or planting can vary. ### Size and season [PanAmerican Seed](https://www.panamseed.com/Products/005709017003332/aquilegia-earlybird-mixture/) lists the Earlybird series at 9–11 inches tall and 8–10 inches wide, with flowering from early spring through summer depending on production and garden conditions. The series is listed for USDA zones 3a–9b and is capable of first-year flowering from seed. For early-spring production, the breeder reports a flowering window of about 10–12 days; outdoor bloom timing varies by climate. ### Siting and soil Grow in sun or partial sun in fertile, freely draining soil ([PanAmerican Seed](https://www.panamseed.com/Products/005709017003332/aquilegia-earlybird-mixture/); [RHS Aquilegia guide](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/aquilegia/growing-guide)). Keep the root zone from drying completely, but avoid persistently wet ground. Its compact, mounded form is useful where larger columbines would overwhelm neighboring plants. ## Maintenance Water during establishment and extended dry periods. Deadhead after bloom for tidiness or allow some seed to ripen if you want seedlings; hybrid offspring may not repeat the original mix. Remove declining foliage after flowering if it looks untidy.