Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Perennial flower
Nodding red-and-yellow lantern flowers on wiry stems that dance in every breeze. Blooms in April and May when the woodland edge has almost nothing else and the ruby-throats are just back from Mexico.
The spec sheet.
- Habitat
- Rocky woods, ledges, wooded slopes, forest edges
- Bloom time
- April – June
- Sun
- Part shade to full shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained; tolerates rocky and thin
- Moisture
- Medium; drought-tolerant once established
- Height
- 1–3 feet
What it attracts.
The species that visit, feed on, or depend on this plant — and how they use it.
Ruby-throated hummingbird
Nectar source
One of the first hummingbird plants after migration
Early native bees
Nectar source
Specialist Anthophora bees adapted to spur-flowers
Columbine Duskywing (butterfly)
Larval host
Doesn't want to compete — pair with other spring ephemerals, not with vigorous summer perennials. Self-sows into the perfect cracks. Foliage goes semi-dormant by midsummer; don't panic.
Xerces Society · Native Plant Society of NJ
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- Bloom
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- Bloom
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