# common columbine (*Aquilegia vulgaris*) The common columbine is a beautiful flower with unique, spiky petals that look like little bells. It often blooms in gardens and can attract butterflies and hummingbirds with its bright colors. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 14 - **Habitat:** Gardens ![common columbine](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Aquilegia_vulgaris_-_Harilik_kurekell.jpg&width=800) Photo: Ivar Leidus, CC BY-SA 3.0 ee · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aquilegia_vulgaris_-_Harilik_kurekell.jpg) ## Appearance The common columbine has striking, intricate bell-shaped flowers with five distinctive backward-pointing spurs. Its blossoms, often purple, blue, pink, or white, hang elegantly, contrasting with its lobed, blue-green foliage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Ranunculales - **Family:** Ranunculaceae - **Genus:** Aquilegia ## Interesting facts - Ancient people believed smelling columbine flowers could make you courageous. - Columbine seeds can stay alive in the soil for decades, waiting to sprout! - Its intricate flower shape makes it look like a tiny crown or jester's hat! - Some wild columbines can grow in cracks of rocks on steep mountain cliffs! ## Special abilities - **Nectar Nooks:** Common columbine has long spurs holding nectar, guiding long-tongued insects and hummingbirds to pollinate effectively. - **Pollen Funnel:** Its unique bell-shaped petals funnel pollinators deep inside, ensuring efficient pollen transfer for successful reproduction. - **Seed Slingers:** Dry seed pods split open at the top, allowing seeds to be shaken out and dispersed by wind or passing animals. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 60-90 cm - **Spread:** 30-45 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Late spring to early summer - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Buff-tailed bumblebee (*Bombus terrestris*) — Collects nectar and pollen - **Pollinates:** [Ruby-throated hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ruby-throated-hummingbird) (*Archilochus colubris*) — Feeds on nectar from spurs - **Eats:** Aquilegia sawfly (*Pristiphora aquilegiae*) — Larvae feed on leaves - **Eats:** Columbine leaf miner (*Phytomyza aquilegiae*) — Larvae tunnel within 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. - [Biennial](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/biennial): Biennial plants complete their life cycle over two growing seasons, typically forming foliage in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. - [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. - [Spiky/Thorny](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/spiky-thorny): Possessing sharp, pointed projections or spines on the body or surface. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Always look but don't touch flowers without asking an adult, as some can be delicate. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify common columbine? 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 common columbine? 60-90 cm ### How wide does common columbine spread? 30-45 cm ### How big are the flowers on common columbine? 3-5 cm ### When does common columbine bloom? Late spring to early summer ### Is common columbine edible? No ### Is common columbine toxic? Mild ### What is common columbine's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Bald Eagle State Forest](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bald-eagle-state-forest) — Pennsylvania, US · Forest - [Bear Meadows Natural Area](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bear-meadows-natural-area) — Pennsylvania, US · Nature Reserve - [Currier Park Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/currier-park-historic-district) — Vermont, US · Historic District - [Starlight Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/starlight-park) — New York, US · Park - [ZooAmerica](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/zooamerica) — Pennsylvania, US · Zoo - [Capron Park Zoo](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/capron-park-zoo) — Massachusetts, US · Zoo [View all places to see common columbine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/common-columbine) ## 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*) --- Source: [Common Columbine: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-columbine)