Add Spring Cheer with Aquilegia Yellow Queen in Your Garden

Columbine Yellow Queen, Aquilegia chrysantha Yellow Queen, Golden Columbine, Granny’s Bonnet

If you’re dreaming of filling your garden with cheerful bursts of yellow and soft, ferny foliage, then Aquilegia Yellow Queen, also known as golden columbine, is a top contender. This radiant herbaceous perennial brings a glorious splash of colour in late spring to early summer, with its elegant lemon-yellow flowers and delicate bonnet-shaped blooms. Whether you’re revamping your cottage garden or adding to your wildlife-friendly border, this elegant beauty is a standout.

Aquilegia chrysantha Yellow Queen is a cultivated variety of the golden columbine, a species native to the south-western United States. It’s a clump-forming, herbaceous perennial that blooms in late spring to early summer, producing stunning, bright lemon-yellow flowers with exaggerated spurs at the back of the flower. These flowers with long spurs are what give it that unique silhouette we associate with granny’s bonnet.

This perennial is especially cherished for its ability to bring height and colour to mixed borders. The branched stems rise to around 60–90cm (2–3ft), topped with nodding blooms that add both vertical interest and cottage charm. It’s also known to attract butterflies, which makes it a favourite in wildlife-friendly gardens.

If you’re searching for something a bit different from the usual pinks and purples of common granny’s bonnets, the elegant lemon-yellow flowers of Yellow Queen are a refreshing change that brightens up any garden space.

The name Aquilegia comes from the Latin word aquila, meaning eagle. This is due to the shape of the flower’s spur, which was thought to resemble an eagle’s claw. The species name, chrysantha, means “golden-flowered”, which is a perfect fit for this sunny yellow queen.

Its common name, columbine, is equally poetic—it’s said to derive from the Latin columba, meaning dove, as the clustered petals can resemble a group of doves huddled together. Whichever name you prefer, this plant has a rich backstory as lovely as its blooms.

These historical roots make columbines a real talking point in the garden, especially among fellow plant lovers who enjoy the stories behind their flowers.

Growing from seed is both rewarding and surprisingly easy if you’re patient. You can either sow indoors in late winter or outdoors in early spring. The key is to use a quality seed compost and to be prepared for a bit of a wait—germination takes 1–3 months and can be erratic.

Sow your seed thinly in trays or pots of moist, well-drained compost. Lightly press the seed into the surface, but don’t cover it—exclude light during germination by placing the trays in a dark area or covering with black plastic. Once your seedlings are large enough to handle, move them into individual pots and grow on in cooler conditions until the danger of frost has passed.

With a bit of luck and care, you’ll soon have strong, healthy plants that are ready to take centre stage in your garden.

Aquilegia Yellow Queen is generally low maintenance once established. During the growing season, keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy. It doesn’t like to sit in water, so good drainage is essential. Apply a balanced feed in early spring to support strong growth and bloom production.

After flowering, deadhead the spent flowers to prolong the blooming season and prevent unwanted self-seeding if you’d like to control its spread. In autumn, allow the perennial to die back naturally. You can tidy up the foliage once it yellows, or leave it to protect the crown over winter.

Every few years, you may want to divide your clumps to keep them healthy and encourage even more flower power.

These plants are quite adaptable but prefer fertile, moist, but well-drained soil. They do best in a partially shaded spot, though they’ll tolerate full sun if the soil doesn’t dry out. In very hot areas, a bit of afternoon shade will keep the foliage looking fresh.

Aquilegias don’t like to be waterlogged, so avoid soggy areas of your garden. If your soil tends to be heavy, work in some grit or compost before planting. You’ll be rewarded with vigorous growth and an abundance of golden-yellow flowers in no time.

Absolutely! If you’re short on garden space or want to enjoy Yellow Queen on a patio or balcony, pots are a great solution. Choose a container with good drainage holes and fill it with a mix of compost and gritty sand or perlite to improve drainage.

Plant one or two young columbines per pot, depending on size, and keep them moist but not soggy. A liquid feed every few weeks during the growing season helps maintain healthy growth. Move the pots into a sheltered position if frost threatens during their first winter.

This is also a brilliant way to enjoy the elegant blooms up close, perfect for admiring the intricate details of those flowers with long spurs.

Like many columbines, this variety can self-seed quite freely if left to its own devices. The seed heads form after the flowers fade, and if you don’t deadhead them, they’ll scatter around the garden and sprout the following year.

This can be lovely if you’re aiming for a natural, relaxed planting scheme, but less so if you’re keeping things tidy or sticking to a specific colour palette. If that’s the case, just snip off the spent flowers before they go to seed.

Also, be aware that columbines are promiscuous little things and cross-pollinate easily with other varieties. So, if you’re growing different colours or types nearby, your seedlings might be an exciting surprise mix!

Although growing from seed is the most common method, you can also divide mature clumps every few years. This helps to rejuvenate older plants and ensures better flower production.

To divide, dig up the plant in early spring or autumn, taking care to lift the whole clump. Use a sharp knife to slice it into sections, making sure each has a healthy amount of root and a few strong shoots. Replant your divisions straight away into fresh, fertile soil, water well, and mulch to retain moisture.

This method is handy if you want to bulk up your borders or share with friends. It’s also a lovely way to keep your favourite cultivars going strong for years.

Aquilegia Yellow Queen works beautifully alongside other herbaceous perennials like geraniums, salvias, or alchemilla mollis. Its cheerful yellow tones create a bright contrast to cooler purples, blues and soft pinks.

Try planting them in drifts with other early summer bloomers to showcase their elegant spurred blooms. Or mix with evergreen plants for year-round structure. They also look great at the back of mixed borders, where their height helps lift the eye.

A mix of textures and colour works well—think mid-green foliage, frothy ground covers, and upright stem forms. The more variety, the more your garden will feel alive and full of joy.

There’s something about Aquilegia Yellow Queen that always lifts the spirit. In my garden, its sunny, long-spurred blooms seem to catch the morning light just so, creating little pockets of gold that draw the eye from across the border. I love how it bridges that gap between spring’s freshness and summer’s abundance, offering weeks of colour when the garden is in full transition. It’s also wonderfully obliging—happy in a lightly shaded corner or mixed among other perennials where its ferny foliage adds texture even after flowering. And if you let it self-seed a little, you’ll be rewarded with a gentle scattering of new plants that pop up like unexpected gifts. For me, Yellow Queen isn’t just a plant—it’s a cheerful, effortless companion that brings warmth, movement, and a dash of history to the garden year after year.

• Sow seeds in early spring; remember germination takes 1–3 months
• Use moist, well-drained soil and keep in a partially shaded spot
• Deadhead regularly to prolong blooming and control self-seeding
• Divide clumps every few years to keep plants healthy and vigorous
• Ideal for cottage gardens, mixed borders, or pots on patios
• Pair with geraniums and other herbaceous perennials for a lush display
• Native to the south-western US, but happy growing in the UK climate
• A perfect choice for adding bright, yellow flowers and cottage charm
• Don’t forget the meaning behind its Latin name—from aquila, meaning eagle!

If you’re looking to add warmth, joy, and a little touch of history to your planting scheme, Aquilegia Yellow Queen is a wonderful place to start. It’s one of those plants that quietly makes a statement—and gives you a lot of pleasure in return.

Check out the RHS article here.

If you like this one, you’ll love Aquilegia Blue Star. Click here to explore it.

For more information on perennials for your garden, please click here.

Q: What is Aquilegia Yellow Queen?

A: Aquilegia Yellow Queen, commonly known as Golden Columbine or granny’s bonnet, is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial prized for its elegant, long-spurred yellow flowers. This cultivar produces bright lemon-yellow blooms from late spring to early summer, rising on tall, branched stems above finely divided, fern-like foliage. Belonging to the Aquilegia genus, its Latin name derives from “Aquila”, meaning eagle—referring to the shape of the flower’s spurs. It adds grace and light to cottage-style borders and works beautifully in partially shaded areas. This columbine is both a striking garden plant and a reliable perennial performer.

Q: Where can I purchase Aquilegia Yellow Queen?

A: Aquilegia Yellow Queen is widely available in the UK from garden centres, specialist nurseries, and trusted online plant retailers. Whether you’re looking to add vibrant colour to a cottage garden or seeking a golden columbine for a shade border, you can source this perennial as a potted plant or as seed.

Q: How do I grow Aquilegia Yellow Queen from seed?

A: To grow ‘Yellow Queen’ from seed, sow in moist seed compost in late winter or spring. Lightly press seeds into the surface and exclude light to aid germination, which can take 1–3 months and may be erratic. Once seedlings are large enough to handle, pot them individually and grow them on in cooler conditions. Acclimatise young plants before planting out once the danger of frost has passed. This cultivar thrives in well-drained, fertile soil in part shade. Feed lightly during the growing season and deadhead to prolong flowering or allow to self-seed naturally.

Q: What are the best growing conditions for this golden columbine?

A: Aquilegia Yellow Queen prefers fertile, moist but well-drained soil and flourishes in part shade, though it will tolerate full sun in cooler regions. Ideal for cottage gardens or naturalised areas, it adds a luminous touch to spring and early summer borders. This hardy perennial performs well in damp yet free-draining locations and benefits from mulch during dry periods. Feed in spring and remove spent blooms to encourage repeat flowering. Its graceful appearance makes it a perfect companion to hardy geraniums and other late-spring perennials.

Q: Is Yellow Queen suitable for wildlife-friendly gardens?

A: Yes, Aquilegia chrysantha Yellow Queen is an excellent choice for wildlife-friendly gardens. Its golden-yellow flowers, held on airy, upright stems, are known to attract butterflies and other pollinators. The nectar-rich, long-spurred blooms provide a valuable food source in late spring and early summer. When planted in groups or among other native perennials, such as geraniums or hardy salvias, they help create a more ecologically diverse space. Its cottage-style charm and light fragrance enhance both the sensory appeal and biodiversity of your garden.