Columbine (Aquilegia)

My first memories of Columbine was as a young girl. They were these "really neat" looking flowers that my best friends' mom had growing in her garden. At the time, I wasn't interested in their name; however, as I was growing up, no matter where I saw these beautiful flowers nodding at me, I would be transported back in time.

Columbine now grows in several areas of our garden. Its tall graceful lines have been incorporated into beds that are south facing full sun, east facing morning and full sun and even in a corner of our north facing shade garden.

The spur is thought to be where the Columbine takes its Latin name from. The Latin, Aquila, meaning eagle implies the similarity between the spur and the eagle talon.

Typically, Columbine will flourish in Zones 3 to 10. They prosper in the wild and can be seen in the mountains, along roads and in gardens everywhere. Columbine is easily grown from seed or purchased commercially at a green house. It should be noted that they will also readily re-seed themselves in your garden if left alone or, you can gather their seeds for future propagation.

If you plan to include Columbine in your garden beds it helps to do a little research on the plants you are going to use. These plants grow from 1 1/2 to 4 feet in height and may have blossoms that are 2 to 4 inches in width with a possible "spur" length of 6 inches. Columbine come in a variety of colors and are considered a perennial even though one plant may not live more than three seasons. There are many hybrids on the market; however, my all time favorite that holds the fondest memories is Rocky Mountain Columbine.