You can refer to it as Granny’s Bonnet or Columbine, the common names for Aquilegia, but definitely call it a perennial champ in the spring garden. Dainty but tough, these little beauties return year after year to the delight of their gardening caregivers, including me.
Aquilegia, the same family as the buttercup, came from the Latin word for eagle, perhaps because the petals look like eagle talons. The common name Columbine comes from the Latin word Columba, which means dove. Plant lore associates it with at least as many meanings as the petals on its flower. The flower is said to resemble the hat of a court jester. Columbine also serves as a symbol of fortitude, and it’s sometimes given as a gift to provide courage and endurance in one’s endeavors.
Many years ago, I gave myself the gift of a then-new variety of columbine, a Clementine Salmon Rose. The name alone would have been enough but the color and the fact that it’s a double flowering variety stole my heart. In keeping with the rule for “feet in the shade and face in the sun” this columbine serves as shade at the base of my Franziska Maria clematis.
Columbines are native to temperate climates like ours, so count them in for your flower beds and containers. They can also be spotted in meadows and woodlands, reseeding from year to year, growing in abundance. They’re available in an array of colors, including red, yellow, white, pink, and purple. Some are even bi-colored. Columbines are bell-shaped and have distinctive spurred petals. The attractive foliage is light and delicate. There are over 60 different species, even more, if you count hybrids. You’re sure to find one or some you absolutely adore!
Columbines are easy to grow from seed and will provide your garden with a burst of color without too much effort. They are hardy and can adapt to most conditions. However, they will thrive in partial shade and fertile, well-drained soils.
Columbines are drought tolerant and would be perfect for rock gardens. They can also be grown in containers or be used as edging in garden beds. They are the quintessential cottage flower. The brightly colored flowers contain an abundance of nectar, which bees and hummingbirds love.
