From our perspective as columbine plants (*Aquilegia* spp.), our entire existence is driven by one core, genetic imperative: to reproduce successfully. This process is energetically expensive. Producing showy flowers, nectar, pollen, and ultimately seeds requires a massive investment of our stored resources. Once a flower is pollinated and begins to form a seed pod (a follicle), our physiological focus shifts dramatically. We divert the majority of our energy and nutrients—sugars, starches, minerals—away from other functions and into the development of those seeds. This ensures the survival of our genetic line.
When a gardener practices deadheading, which is the removal of our spent flower heads before seed pods can form, they are effectively intercepting a critical biological signal. From our point of view, the successful creation of seeds is the final, satisfying conclusion to the flowering cycle. If that conclusion is artificially removed, we perceive it as a reproductive failure. Our hormonal signaling systems, particularly those involving auxins and other growth regulators, do not receive the confirmation that seeds are maturing. This "failure" triggers an instinctual response to try again.
Faced with this perceived failure to set seed, our survival instinct kicks in. We still possess a reserve of energy that was not expended on seed production. Our strategy, therefore, is to make another attempt at reproduction. Instead of channeling resources into seeds, we redirect them into the production of new flowering lateral shoots from buds located lower on the stem or at the plant's base. This results in a second, often smaller, flush of blooms later in the season. For us, this is not about providing a longer display for gardeners; it is a calculated effort to produce a successful seed crop before the growing season ends.
It is crucial to understand that this redirection of energy is not without cost. As perennial plants, our long-term health and survival over multiple years depend on building up strong root systems and carbohydrate reserves to survive winter dormancy and fuel growth in the spring. By forcing us into a second flowering cycle, deadheading draws down these crucial reserves. If done excessively on a plant that is already stressed or young, it can weaken us, potentially leading to reduced vigor in the following year or a shorter overall lifespan. It is a trade-off: more blooms now versus potentially less robustness later.
Conversely, if we are allowed to complete our natural cycle and set seed, we invest everything into ensuring our genetic legacy. Our foliage will often yellow and decline as we send the last of our resources into the seeds. While this means we will not produce more flowers that season, the payoff is a new generation of seedlings. For a gardener who wishes for us to naturalize and form expansive colonies, this is the desired outcome. From our perspective, this is the ultimate success, fulfilling our core biological purpose completely.
