Scientific Name
Aquilegia vulgaris L.
Common Name(s)
Columbine, European Columbine, European Crowfoot, Common Columbine, Granny's Nightcap, Granny's Bonnet, Granny Bonnets, Capon's Feather
Synonym(s)
Aquilegia aggericola, Aquilegia collina, Aquilegia dumeticola, Aquilegia inversa, Aquilegia stellata, Aquilegia winterbottomiana
Scientific Classification
Family: Ranunculaceae
Subfamily: Isopyroideae
Tribe: Isopyreae
Subtribe: Isopyrinae
Genus: Aquilegia
Origin
Aquilegia vulgaris is native to Europe.
Flower
Color: Blue (sometimes purple, pink, light red, and white)
Bloom Time: Summer
Description
Aquilegia vulgaris is a herbaceous perennial plant with branched, thinly hairy stems. It grows up to 4 feet (1.2 m) tall. Leaves are pinnate with the basal leaflets themselves trifoliate.
The flowers are blue, sometimes purple, pink, light red, and white. They are up to 2 inches (5 cm) across, pendent or horizontal with hooked spurs, and appear in early summer.

How to Grow and Care
Columbine plants can handle full sun. It's the combination of heat and dry soil they don't like, and mulching will help alleviate that. They will self-sow, but new plants can be lost if the summer gets too hot. Also, plants tend to be short-lived, fading out within three years. Hedge your bets and save some seeds to sow in the fall or falling spring. Keep in mind that Columbine varieties readily cross-pollinate. If you plant more than one variety, be prepared to see new colors and combinations. If self-sowing becomes a nuisance, shear the plants back in mid-summer to prevent seed pods from forming.
You can start Columbine from seed or plant. Seeds can be directly sown throughout spring. The seeds need light to germinate, so simply press them on the soil surface and barely cover them with soil. Since Columbine is a perennial, it will take two years from planting the seed for them to bloom.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Columbine.
Links
- Back to genus Aquilegia
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
Photo Gallery
Click on a photo to see a larger version.


