April 2010 Plant of the Month —
Columbine

Sometimes called Eastern or Canadian columbine, A. canadensis is native to most of eastern North America and can be found growing wild in at least 37 states and much of Canada. Photo courtesy of Kris Light, easttennesseewildflowers.com. May be reused with this article or by contacting the photographer. Download this image

Submitted by Jason Reeves

More than 60 species of columbine and many more hybrids grace our landscapes each spring. The flowers come in almost every color and can be nodding to upright, depending on the species.

My favorite of the group is Aquilegia canadensis. Sometimes called Eastern or Canadian columbine, A. canadensis is native to most of eastern North America and can be found growing wild in at least 37 states and much of Canada. It may not be as showy as some of its kin, but its flowers have a certain grace and elegance, making it one of my favorite spring flowering plants. The drooping, bell-like one- to two-inch reddish and yellow flowers are produced in April and May on two- to three-foot stalks. Many do not realize that they make good cut flowers.

Hummingbirds find these blooms irresistible; however, as a member of the Ranunculus family, columbine is less appetizing to deer and other pests.

In the wild, plants are found in a range of growing conditions, from moist semi-shady areas to dry rocky bluffs. In the garden, they perform best in full sun to partial shade and in moist well drained average garden soil, but will grow in a wide range of soils as long as the drainage is good.

Columbine’s glaucous blue-green compound leaves are held in groups of three by long petioles giving the plant a beautiful frilly skirt when in flower.  As compared to other species and hybrids, A. canadensis is less susceptible to leaf miners, which do little long-term harm but can make the foliage unsightly.

Plants freely self-seed and will naturalize in the garden.  When starting seed indoors, germination can be improved by sowing the seed in a good potting media and placing in a refrigerator for 6 weeks before moving to a warm location. From seed they will flower the second year and live for three to four years in the garden.


Jason Reeves is an Ornamental Horticulture Research Associate with the UT AgResearch and Education Center in Jackson, Tennessee. He creates the various seasonal horticultural displays, conducts research on herbaceous and woody ornamentals, and supports various educational programs. The UT Gardens in Jackson and Knoxville are both open to the public. See http://utgardens.tennessee.edu/  and http://westtennessee.tennessee.edu/ornamentals/ for more information.

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Contacts:

Jason Reeves, Ornamental Horticulture Research Associate,
731-424-1643

Dr. Susan Hamilton, Director of the UT Gardens, 865-974-7324

Patricia McDaniels, UTIA Marketing and Communications Services, 615-835-4570