Here I thought it was me - why Wild Columbine won't grow

[applestar]

I've been trying to get Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) to establish in my garden for the past 3 years. I have blue flowered ones that self-seeds with no problems so I didn't think it was the soil. I HAVE been trying to avoid planting too close to the blue ones, however, so they don't cross.

I bought yet 2 more 1 gal pots and had situated them where I thought I'd plant them. Then I was doing other things and lost track of time. When I checked on them one more time before coming in, I found one of them chewed to bits -- half the plant was gone and some flowers were scattered around. :

RABBITS!!!

Here I thought it was me, not planting them in the right place or failing to take care of them properly.

It's odd because they don't eat the blue-flowered ones as far as I know -- or they do, but they are so prolific that the bunnies leave just enough standing.

I'll plant these new Aquilegia inside the Enterprise Apple Tree enclosure (Rabbit Fence and electrical fence kept "hot" during the groundHOG season).

p.s. I also bought Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus stronifera), Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum trilobum 'Wentworth'), and Bloody/Red-veined Sorrel (Rumex sanguinus) today

[MaineDesigner]

Applestar, keep a close eye on your new Viburnum. The Viburnum Leaf Beetle has been confirmed as far south as Westchester County and there are scattered reports from Long Island and Northern New Jersey. The beetle seems to find Viburnum opulus L. var. americana (trilobum) especially attractive. I have stopped using it along with V. dentatum here in Maine. Insecticidal soap works fairly well if your timing is right, you need to get the larvae about a week after hatching. I have also heard some anecdotal reports of moderate success with horticultural oil before bud break. It is important to prune out the egg sites too. Here in seriously infested Maine the plants are often toast after two or three years without human intervention

[applestar]

Will do. Thanks for the warning. I hadn't heard of them. I'll have to keep a close eye on the new V. trilobum as well as my V. dentatum and a mystery volunteer Viburnum, though that one might be a V. carlesii and possibly not prone?

I wonder if birds eat these beetles? The proposed location for the 'Wentworth' is in a center of a triangle of birds' nests -- Grackles in neighbor's Juniper, House Sparrows in a birdhouse, and Robins in my honey suckle arbor, and I have another birdhouse with a Vacancy sign.