Aquilegia canadensis

Red-and-yellow blooms nod from wild columbine’s branch-tips, and with their elegant form, appear to be engaged in a floral ballet. Tall projections on each flower’s petals almost mimic the posture of a dancer, arms upraised. These structures are called nectar spurs, and they tell an interesting evolutionary story.

Columbines originated in Europe, spreading eastward to Asia, and then arriving in North America 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. In North America, columbines encountered a new pollinator: the hummingbird. In response to interactions with the birds, North American columbines evolved longer nectar spurs than their Eurasian ancestors, and some columbines, such as wild columbine, evolved red color. This is because hummingbirds, with their long mouthparts and affinity for the color red, favored flowers with these traits. Wild columbine’s springtime bloom coincides with the ruby-throated hummingbird’s northward migration, making the plant’s nectar resources especially valuable to the birds.

Native to NE Ohio woodlands, wild columbine is especially fond of rocky slopes and ledges. In the garden, wild columbine prefers partial shade and soils of average moisture or a bit drier, and it can handle sunnier or shadier conditions. It is important that the soil where wild columbine is growing doesn’t allow water to pool, because the plant requires good drainage. When growing in full sun, wild columbine may require supplemental watering during dry spells. Wild columbine is a short-lived species, but it self-seeds readily and will persist in this manner.

References: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10.

Photo 1 by Julie Slater. Photo 2 by Ashley Keesling.