Columbine © 2011 Patty Hankins
Columbine – what can I say – it’s one of those wildflowers that I just have to photograph every time I see it. Which means I have lots of Columbine photos. As I was looking through some of my photos that I haven’t posted – I realized there about twenty columbine photos I”ve edited and not shared here on the blog – and that’s just the wild columbine we have here on the East Coast – that doesn’t include the wonderful columbine I’ve photographed out west or some of the cultivated varieties I’ve photographed. And don’t worry – I’m not going to put all the photos into one blog post – just my favorites 🙂
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Columbine – Aquilegia canadensis – is a member of the buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family native to eastern two-thirds of the United States and Canada. It is very common throughout much of its range – only listed as endangered in Florida. Known for it’s showy red and yellow flowers, columbine are a bell-shaped flower with backward pointing tubes containing nector. Hummingbirds and a few long tongued insects are particularly attracted to nectar of the columbines.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
Columbine grows well in shade/partial shade – preferring sandy well-drained soils. The plants grow to be 2-3 feet tall. The flowers themselves are almost two inches long. In addition to attracting hummingbirds to your garden – columbine are both deer and rabbit resistant. Columbine are not hard to grow – I have several thriving plants in my garden – and as many of you know – plants have to be pretty hardy to survive in my garden.
© 2011 Patty Hankins
Columbine was used for medicinal purposes by many native American tribes and early European settlers. The seeds were used by early settlers to speed childbirth – until it was discovered that large doses of columbine seeds could be poisonous. Native Americans used it to treat ailments ranging from heart trouble to poison ivy. It was also used as a love potion and to detect bewitchment.
© 2012 Patty Hankins
More information about Columbine can be found at
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
© 2012 Patty Hanknis
© 2012 Patty Hankins