COLUMBINE (Aquilegia canadensis)

bloom May-Jun | height 1' | part to full-shade

Columbine foliage appears early in the spring as a whorl of smokey green leaves just above the soil surface. As it unfurls, this plant sends up a stem to prominently display its trumpet-shaped flowers to hummingbirds and long-tongued bees (bumblebees). After pollination, the flower fades, dries and turns upright as a cup to hold the tiny black pearl-like seeds. Like a magic trick, you can pour the seeds out onto your hand and wow many a new gardener.

Plants that grow well with columbine: Zizia aurea (golden alexanders), Carex rosea (rosy sedge), Koerleria macrantha (June grass)

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