Aquilegia atropurpurea Willd.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Johnson’s Dictionary gives a date of introduction of A. viridiflora to Britain as 1780.  ‘A pretty, little, neat, hardy herbaceous plant, native of Siberia.  It flowers in the open border, in any common light soil, from April till June.  Our drawing was made in the garden of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick, where it had been raised from Siberian seeds communicated by Dr. Fischer.’  [BR f.922/1825].  

History at Camden Park

Listed in all published catalogues [H.12/1843].  By 1846 Macarthur was probably growing improved garden forms or hybrids.  He placed an order with James Carter, Seedsman and Florist of High Holborn, for 6 varieties of Aquilegia seed on the 8th of April 1846 [MP A2933-1, p.128].  These were probably A. vulgaris, of which many colour forms were available by this time.

Notes

Hortus Second says of Aquilegia atropurpurea, ‘confused name; botanically applied to plants of A. buergeriana and A. viridiflora, but the material in the trade may be a colour form of A. vulgaris [L. which see].’  The last named is a European species, to 75cm, with nodding blue, purple and white flowers.  There are many garden forms.  To add to the confusion Curtis’s Botanical Magazine figures Aquilegia hybrida, synonym A. vulgaris speciosa, thought to be a hybrid of A. canadensis and A. vulgaris: ‘It appears to us, however, to be the same as the Siberian variety of the A. vulgaris in Hortus Kewensis, which is said to be permanent.’  The flower shown was bluish-purple with a white corolla and short spurs.

A less likely possibility is Aquilegia buergeriana Sieb. & Zucc., synonym Aquilegia atropurpureum Miq.  Japan.  Hairy, linear leaves composed of 3 leaflets, and flowering stems bearing 2-3 nodding, brown-purple to dull yellow flowers.  To 60cm.  [RHSD, Hortus].