Illustration
Black Barlow
Aquilegia vulgaris 'Black Barlow'
Black Barlow blooms from May through June.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Black Barlow
Plant it in part shade. It prefers moderate water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–8. Expect it to reach about 2.5 ft tall and 1.5 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (not yet checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant. The bloom months and water need on this page were not, and each fact above says which. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Black Barlow
Plant Black Barlow in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 5, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 8, spring means April to June and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from May to June.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 5, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 5 in April. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Black Barlow get?
2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult1.5 ftwideSee Black Barlow in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Black Barlow
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Black Barlow about 1.5 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Black Barlow to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Black Barlow's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags were checked against 12 published sources on July 31, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- NC State ExtensionAquilegiaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- NC State ExtensionAquilegia x hybridaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- Perennials.com (Heritage Perennials)Heritage Perennials (Perennials.com)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- plants.homesteadgardens.comHomestead Gardens (NetPS Plant Finder)height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, years to mature size and trait tags
- littleprinceplants.comLittle Prince Plantsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- sandysplants.comSandy's Plantsheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- Holland Bulb Farmsheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- mygardenlife.comMyGardenLife Plant Libraryheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- shireplants.co.ukShire Plantsheight, spread, sun and trait tags
- University of Illinois ExtensionColumbineheight, hardiness zones, sun and trait tags
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Societyheight, spread and sun
- Swallowtail Garden Seedsheight, hardiness zones and trait tags
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Good to know about Black Barlow
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note.
Safety
Best treated as mildly toxic and not a food: the seeds and roots are the most concentrated. Keep children and pets from eating them. per PLOS ONE and Cornell
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Design a garden with this
Drop this plant onto a 3D plan, see how it fills in, and watch your whole garden bloom across the year.