Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Family Ranunculaceae
Native red columbine blooms in time with the hummingbird migration — nodding spurred flowers seemingly designed for the birds that arrive as they open. Then the patch improves itself: self-sown seedlings cross into surprise colors, so every spring debuts combinations you didn't plant.
It suits woodland edges and part shade, hardy zones 3 through 8, where bees join the hummingbirds. Individual plants live three to four years, but the seedlings keep a patch effectively immortal — a plant to admire, not to eat. Seed one colony and let it wander.
Part Shade
Moderate water
Moderate growth
Native to North America
Attracts hummingbirds
Attracts bees
Juglone-sensitive
From the print shop
Growing columbine? Hang it.
Our Plant Library collection carries columbine — Aquilegia canadensis, print Nº 124, “Columbine.”
526 designsfrom $12.99white or black backgroundmatte poster, unframed
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what columbine actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-8Columbine · Common problems
Common columbine problems
Pests
2 problems on file
- Leaf Miner (squiggle trails — cosmetic)
- Sawflies
Diseases
1 problem on file
Columbine · Growing & propagation
Growing columbine
- Light
- Part Shade
Sun in cool zones
- Water
- Moderate
Soil- Woodland-ish, drained · pH 6.0 - 7.0
Fertilizer- None needed
Pruning- After bloom
Cut ratty foliage to the ground after leaf miner tunnels appear — clean fresh growth returns.
Spacing- 12-15 in
How to plant & propagate columbine
- Propagate
- Division or seed
Columbine · Calculators & field guides
A little help in the garden.
Columbine · Yearly calendar
The columbine year, month by month
Jan
No calendar activity is listed for this month.
BloomBloomApril to June
What each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
Columbine · Ecology & uses
Ecology & uses
Aquilegia canadensis
Columbine in the garden system
- Herbaceous layer perennial
- Nectary/insectary
Attracts- Hummingbirds, Bees
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Moisture
- Facultative / average
Deer- Browsed
Protect young plants
- Origin
- Native to North America
- Juglone
- Columbine is sensitive to juglone
The toxin exuded by black walnut, butternut, and their relatives. Keep it 50+ ft from any walnut or hickory, or its leaves will yellow, wilt, and die back for no obvious reason.
What columbine is grown for
! Some parts toxic — see notesToxic if eaten (rarely an issue)
Use- Woodland edges
- Use
- Hummingbird gardens
- Use
- Self-sowing
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
Columbine · Varieties & cultivars
Choosing a columbine variety
Native red A. canadensis (hummingbird timing); 'McKana Giants'; alpine blue A. caerulea
Sources & plant identity
Know what you’re growing.
See where the knowledge comes from.
Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
The plant, at a glance.
- Botanical name
- Aquilegia canadensis
- Plant family
- Ranunculaceae
- Growth habit
- Perennial
- Origin
- Native to North America
- USDA plant symbol
- AQCA
- Invasive risk
- Low
Hardiness, size and timing vary with your cultivar, soil and climate.
Rooted in research.
University extension research, brought together with hands-on growing experience at Story Thyme Farms.
for Columbine
Research from these sources
Publisher marks identify sources, not sponsorship or endorsement.
Questions
Columbine questions, answered straight.
Is columbine safe for kids and pets?
With care. Toxic if eaten (rarely an issue) Site it accordingly if children or pets roam the garden. This is general reference, not medical or veterinary advice — call a vet or poison control if something has actually been eaten.
How do you propagate columbine?
Division or seed.
Elsewhere
Where columbine sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily