I moved here from the beautiful garden state of New Jersey in 1976 due to a company transfer. We had so many things to learn about our new home from the variety of food available to the local dialect. Living in a new area of the United States gave us many new places to visit and explore. In this vast land called Texas, I still have not visited Big Bend National Park. If I did, I’m told I might find clumps of Texas gold columbine hiding in shady areas.

Discovered in Big Bend, West Texas

In fact, this rare perennial wildflower was found growing in shady areas along the streams and waterfalls in Big Bend, West Texas, by horticulturist Greg Grant and Extension Service horticulturist Jerry Parsons. Both are given the credit for finding it, naming it and testing it for its durability.

Imagine hiking along the park’s paths and stumbling across this beauty.

Texas Superstar plant

The scientific name for Texas Gold Columbine, a Texas Superstar, is Aquilegia chrysantha. Its more common names are Hinckley’s Columbine, Hinckley’s Gold and Capote Columbine. Texas Gold Columbine, like other Texas Superstars, has proven itself in field trials with minimal soil preparation, reasonable levels of water and no pesticides.

• Description

It is a yellow gold flower with long spurs with a honeysuckle-like fragrance.

• Clumping plant

It grows in a clump displaying gray-green foliage, so even when it’s not blooming, these clumps of foliage are pretty in a yard. A clump of columbine reaches a height of 18 to 24 inches and can spread as wide as 24 inches.

• Attracts butterflies/hummingbirds; resists deer

It blooms prolifically from March until summer attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. It is a host plant to the Columbine Duskywing butterfly found in the states bordering Canada. It is deer-resistant.

Growing conditions

As a Texas Superstar, it can perform in a wide variety of climates and under various growing conditions all over the state. This helps to ensure it is readily available and reasonably priced for planting.

• Prefers partial shade

It is the only Texas Superstar that grows well in a partially shaded area. Let me elaborate.

It can take full sun in the winter but requires filtered shade in our hot Texas summers.

For instance, it could grow under the canopy of a tree that loses its leaves in the fall and then have the shade when the leaves grow in the spring.

• Needs well-draining soil, weekly watering, fertilizer

When planting, select an area that drains well because this plant does not like its roots sitting in wet soil. It does need to be watered every seven to 10 days.

Before planting, mix in slow release fertilizer such as 50 percent nitrogen (2 pounds for every 100 square feet). Fertilize every year in October, December and February to increase foliage production. This is a good rule of thumb for your garden. If you notice something isn’t blooming or growing, feed the plant. They need to eat in order to grow.

• Reseeds aggressively

Texas gold columbine reseeds itself by dropping its seeds into the surrounding soil. Watch out; it can be invasive.

Uses in the garden

Where to grow this plant? Consider the following:

• Border/filler plant

It can be grown as a garden accent like a border or tucked away in a corner for color. If you use it as a border plant, create a wow factor by pairing it with another plant of a different hue of green.

Some plants that will do well along with Texas gold columbine are summer phlox, different ferns, ajuga or oxalis because they have similar sun and water conditions.

• Xeriscape plant

Since it is drought-tolerant it is good for a xeriscape, especially in the conditions we had earlier this early summer before the recent rains.

Time guideline

If you happen to have purchased a Texas gold columbine this spring, it should have been well into its blooming season before the recent sweltering Texas temperatures. If you bought one that was blooming, it continued to flower until it dropped its blossoms. Then for next year, the seeds found in the blossoms of this perennial will grow into lovely plants.

A pot of gold for my garden

Yellow is my favorite color because, to me, it creates a sunny area wherever it appears. So yellow is found in many rooms of my home – and from a yellow teapot to yellow filler in a container. I think I need to add a pot of living gold, this yellow-flowering perennial Texas gold columbine, to my landscape.