About Columbines

Columbines are perennial flowering plants that have become popular with gardeners all over the world for their vibrant colors and delicate shape. They are low-maintenance plants that do well in many environments and do not require any special care.

Classification and Name Meaning

• Columbines are part of the genus Aquilegia. This name is derived from the Latin "aquila," meaning "eagle." This may be a reference to the resemblance of the flower’s long, curling stamens to eagle’s claws. The common name columbine also comes from a Latin word for a bird; "columba" is Latin for "dove." When the flower is pointing downward, it is said by some to bear a resemblance to five doves sitting in a circle.

Natural Distribution

• The columbine occurs naturally as a wildflower in much of Europe and in parts of North America. Now, however, the columbine has gained popularity as a garden perennial and is cultivated in non-native areas all over the world.

Physical Characteristics

• The columbine is a shrubby plant with clusters of blue-green leaves that grow four to five inches in length. Columbines are perennials, meaning they grow year-round, but the flowers appear in spring and summer. There is a great variety of colors available, thanks to selective breeding an hybridization. Some popular colors include red, blue, pink, white, yellow and purple. Some varieties are bi-colored. Columbines are valued by gardeners as much for their shape as for their color. The flowers have long, curling petals and dramatic, spur-like stamens. They nod in the breeze.

Uses in Gardens

• Columbines look excellent planted along borders or in rock gardens. They are drought-tolerant, so they do well in rock gardens and in sunny spots. They are also an excellent choice for low-water landscapes. Many gardeners who use columbines plant them in clusters for the maximum visual impact.

Other Uses

• Some Native Americans ate wild columbine flowers as a condiment with other greens. This is because the flowers have a sweet taste. However, the seeds and roots of columbines are very toxic and should never be ingested.

Care

• Columbines are easy plants to care for. Being drought-tolerant, they do not require much water. They prefer partial shade, but tend to do fine in full sunlight as well. Columbines do best in well-drained soils. Some gardeners deadhead their columbines, meaning that they remove the dead flowers. This tends to extend the life of the plant, which otherwise live about three years. However, other gardeners do not deadhead, preferring to let the columbines reseed themselves from the dried stamens of the dead flowers.