# columbines (*Aquilegia*)

Columbines are beautiful flowers that come in many colors, like blue, purple, and yellow. They have unique, spiky petals that look like little bells, making them special in gardens.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Habitat:** Mountain regions
- **Also known as:** Canadian Columbine, Columbine, Granny's Bonnet, Wild Columbine

![columbines](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771425955/objects/3799.jpg)

## Appearance

The columbines has delicate, bell-shaped flowers often with striking two-tone colors like purple and white, or red and yellow. Its petals flare outwards, ending in distinctive backward-pointing spurs that can be long and elegant. These unique shapes make them easily recognizable.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Ranunculales
- **Family:** Ranunculaceae
- **Genus:** Aquilegia

## Interesting facts

- "Columbine" means "dove-like" because the petals look like tiny birds gathering!
- Some columbines have such long nectar spurs, only special moths can reach inside!
- Their seeds can stay dormant for years, waiting for the perfect time to sprout!
- These amazing flowers can grow wild on mountain slopes and in rocky areas!

## Special abilities

- **Nectar Spurs:** Columbines have long, hollow spurs that hold sweet nectar deep inside, attracting specific pollinators like hummingbirds.
- **Pollinator Adaptation:** Columbines can change flower color and spur length over time, adapting to attract different local pollinators.
- **Divided Leaves:** Columbines have clover-like leaves, divided into three leaflets, helping them absorb sunlight efficiently in dappled shade.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 30-90 cm
- **Spread:** 30-60 cm
- **Flower Size:** 3-7 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** Mild
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — visits flowers for sweet nectar
- **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed Bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — collects pollen and nectar
- **Eats:** Columbine Leaf Miner (*Phytomyza aquilegiae*) — larvae create tunnels inside leaves

## Traits

- [Bell-Shaped Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/bell-shaped-flower): Bell-shaped flowers possess petals fused or arranged to form a cup-like or campanulate structure resembling a bell.
- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Spring Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spring-blooming): Spring blooming plants produce their flowers during the spring season, often signifying the end of winter and the start of new growth.
- [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
- [Mountain](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/mountain): This habitat trait identifies species found in mountainous regions, characterized by high elevation, steep slopes, and varying climate zones.
- [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Do not eat any flowers without asking an adult, as some can be harmful.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify columbines?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is columbines?

30-90 cm

### How wide does columbines spread?

30-60 cm

### How big are the flowers on columbines?

3-7 cm

### When does columbines bloom?

Spring to early summer

### Is columbines edible?

No

### Is columbines toxic?

Mild

### What is columbines's lifecycle?

Perennial

## Watch

- [Play video: columbines](https://www.snappit.app/videos/columbines)
- [YouTube](https://youtube.com/watch?v=c0TeDTdii4g)

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

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Source: [Columbines: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/columbines)