Did you know the columbine plant symbolize endurance, faith, and good fortune? You may wonder why?
The reason is that this flower grows in different conditions, against all odds. You can find columbines in high mountains, meadows, and woodlands. They grow at very high altitudes.
But why is my columbine plant dying? Well, a few things can contribute to the death of columbine plant, such as poor soil condition, pests, downy mildew, wireworms, etc.
Growing this plant is easy, but many factors may prevent your columbine from growing well.
In this post, we talk about why columbine plant will die as well as some practical steps you can use to save your columbine plant from dying.
Table of Contents
What Is Columbine Plant?
Columbines, also known as Aquilegia, is easy to grow perennial rising from the Ranunculaceae family. This plant is native to Europe and North America.
It features king spurs with five exotic petaled flowers. Lots of people grow Columbine for its beautiful flowers, and even hummingbirds love the columbine flower.
Columbine has various flower colors. Such as Blue, purple, yellow, red, and orange. These flowers have a lot of symbols. Many say they symbolize our aspirations and how high they should get.
Why Is My Columbine Plant Dying?
Below are some of the things that can contribute to the death of columbine plant:
1. Poor soil condition
According to North Carolina Extension Gardener, "columbines love sunlight or light shades, the reason they thrive in meadows and woodlands."
When the soil is too wet, this causes the roots decay. Now, I'm sure you don't want this to happen to your plant. If the soil is also too dry, this can cause the plant to wilt.
It's important to note that while columbines enjoy the sun, they dislike scorching weather. Mostly in summer, you want to make sure you drain your plants well. Columbines like loamier soils.
Keep in mind that if you are in a warm area, you want to apply more mulch to your soil to keep it moist. Mulch can help to save your columbine even in winter. Taking these measures will prevent you from asking why is my columbine dying?
2. Pests
A lot of plants die from chronic pest infestations. Suppose you do not care for them properly, these pests can also lead to the untimely death of your columbine plant.
Even though the columbine plant survives harsh conditions, some pests can destroy them.
Some of the dangerous pests that can kill columbine plants are:
3. Columbine Aphids
A prolonged infestation of the columbine Aphids can kill your plant. We find aphids in various plants. They damage the plant by piercing it and sucking out the juices.
So, how do you get rid of aphids on columbine plant? Well, when an aphid infestation becomes very serious, you can spray the plant leaves with a mix of a mild solution of water and a few drops of dish soap. Another Pest that can kill your plant is a stalk borer.
4. Wireworms
Some wireworms are dark brown, while others are yellow and are characterized by hard shells.
Some plants may still look okay, while wireworms feed on underground stems and eat off the roots and seeds of your precious columbine plant.
If you don't clean up your garden debris and about 8-inches inside the soil, the affected plants will wilt and die.
5. Pesticides
I recommend you avoid potent pesticides in killing pests feeding on your columbine. Why? This is because pesticides destroy important insects that can act as a natural means of keeping harmful pests under control.
Some important insects are lady beetles, spiders, parasitic wasps, and many others.
6. Downy mildew
This disease usually thrives in cold conditions, and cold-loving pathogen causes leaf spots on the columbine flower. You can control this by applying fungicides. Also, you want to check for direction for use and safety precautions on the product labels.
So, when you find your plant wilting and shedding leaves, Observe your columbine; lookout for signs of aphids or caterpillars. Look at the leaves carefully. You want your plant to grow healthy and produce some exotic flowers.
When next you notice any adverse change in your columbine plant and think, why is my columbine plant dying? You know what to do. Regardless of the annual attacks of sawflies and other columbine pests, this plant grows very well.
The columbine remains such an exciting perennial. Inspiring us to have faith no matter the obstacles we might face. Because we value our precious columbine, we will do everything it takes to prevent it from dying.
