Wild Columbine

Wild columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is an eastern North American native woodland herb that produces alluring flower of upward pointing red spurs and downward facing yellow sepals and stamens. They sway like lanterns floating on tall thin stalks over rounded lacy-edged green leaves. In Missouri habitats, this native occurs in rocky woods, on wooden slopes, and among limestone outcroppings.This easy-to-grow herbaceous perennial matures to about 2-3 feet tall and 1.5 feet wide in zones 3-8. From about April to May, columbine produces five-spurred pink to red bell-shaped flowers that have yellow centers. A profuse display of showy 2-inch-long flowers can last one month. The foliage is very attractive, even when the herb is not in bloom, with delicate light green to bluish green biternate compound leaves that may be divided again into three rounded teeth. Columbine can be cut to the ground when foliage declines.

Wild columbine looks lovely in mass plantings in cottage gardens, woodland/native gardens, naturalized areas, hummingbird/pollinator gardens, rain gardens, and borders. Columbine looks beautiful with other native woodland plants like wild geranium, bellwort, beardtongue, trillium, Virginia bluebells, and ferns, as well as non-native spring bulbs, iris, foxglove, and hosta.

This low-maintenance plant grows well in light to moderate shade in rich, moist, well-draining soil. Star-shaped papery structures that have long narrow pointed tips hold black seed. This species is readily propagated from seed, blooms in its second year, and will naturalize to form clumps or large colonies. It readily hybridizes with other Aquilegia species. It tolerates rabbits, deer, and dry soil. It has good resistance to leaf miner. The pollen and nectar attract hummingbirds, bumblebees, hawk moths, and butterflies, and the seeds attract songbirds.