Aquilegia 'William Guiness' (= Magpie)

This striking cultivar, one of the most popular among horticultural columbines, is immediately recognizable by its sharp and theatrical bicoloration: sepals and spurs of a very dark purple, almost black, contrasting with petals of a pure and bright white. It is this evocative color combination that earned it its English nickname 'Magpie', the magpie, a bird also dressed in black and white.

The flower presents the classic structure of Aquilegia vulgaris , with characteristic well-developed curved spurs. The slender and branched flowering stems reach 60 to 80 cm in height, bearing numerous hanging flowers that follow one another from May to July. The biternate foliage, of a glaucous green typical of the genus, forms a dense basal clump that persists in winter under mild climates.

Easy to grow, this cultivar appreciates a fresh, humus-rich, and well-drained soil, in a semi-shaded to sunny position. It self-seeds freely in the garden, but as with most selected cultivars, the seedlings may produce individuals with less contrasting bicoloration or different shades, as varietal fidelity is not guaranteed by sexual reproduction.

In the garden, it integrates with great elegance into cottage-style beds or compositions with a dark dominance, alongside other plants with purple foliage or white flowers, creating highly sought-after luminous contrasts.