Aquilegia canadensis

Common Names

Wild Columbine, Eastern Red Columbine, Red Columbine, Canada Columbine, Jack-In-Trousers, Meeting Houses, Cluckies, Rock Lily, Canadian Columbine, Turk's Cap, Rock Bells, Columbine, American Columbine, Eastern Columbine

Summary

Aquilegia canadensis, commonly called Canadian Columbine, is a native North American wildflower in the Ranunculaceae family. It is a perennial herb forming a clump 1–3 feet tall with basal blue-green leaves and erect stems bearing nodding red and yellow flowers with long red nectar spurs, creating bird-like blossoms that attract hummingbirds and bees, and it self-seeds readily to form large colonies under suitable conditions. In cultivation it prefers partial shade but can tolerate full sun if moisture is adequate, and it grows in well-drained soils that range from chalk to sand with pH acidic to alkaline. It is hardy in USDA zones 3a–8b and can be propagated by seed or by division; seeds germinate with stratification or fall sowing, and plants readily naturalize in woodland or native plant gardens, borders, or naturalized areas. It is deer resistant and valued for nectar and pollinator value, making it suitable for wildlife-friendly plantings.

Lifecycle

Perennial (short-lived 3–5 years)

Height

12-30 inches

Spread

12-18 inches

Hardiness Zones

Zones 3-8

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally partial shade, tolerates Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial Shade, and Full Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained, loamy to sandy soil with moist conditions and slightly acidic to neutral pH

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Tolerates all pH levels

Bloom Color

Red and yellow

Bloom Time

Spring to Summer

Foliage Color

Green to blue-green

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

Medium

Seasons of Interest

Spring and Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Attracts bees, Attracts hummingbirds, Attracts butterflies, Attracts hawk moths