Description

Key Information:

Soil: Mesic (Medium) – Xeric (Dry)
Sun: Full – Shade
Height: 1-3 feet
Bloom Color: Red
Bloom Season: May-June
*Salt tolerant*

More Detail:

Suggested Uses: Columbine has showy flowers which makes it a lovely wildflower for a woodland or semi-shaded garden. This plant is very tolerant of many different site situations and can thrive on dry rocky slopes. Grows well under evergreens. A wonderful pollinator plant that will receive lots of traffic in your restoration or garden. Plants will reseed but are not aggressive. Deer resistant.

Native Range: Native to the Midwest and Northeastern U.S. Native throughout the state of Minnesota.

Pollinators/Habitat: These red flowers with deep nectar tubes are predominantly pollinated by hummingbirds but also attract bees and butterflies. The seeds serve as food for finches.

Flowers: The nodding 1-2″ flowers have 5 yellow sepals, 5 upward spurred scarlet petals, and numerous stamens.

Leaves: The leaves are 4-6″ wide and divided into 9-27 3-lobed leaflets.

Interesting Facts:

Food Uses: Flowers make a lovely edible garnish! Nectar is sweet. Do NOT eat other components of the plant.
Folklore: It was once considered our national wildflower because the seed pods resemble the eagle’s talons.
Name: The common name comes from Columba meaning “dove” in Latin, while the scientific name “Aquilegia” means eagle.
Other Names: Honeysuckle, Eastern Red Columbine

More information: USDA plant page