Description
Aquilegia (Columbine) ack-will-LEE-jah
The perennial columbine (Aquilegia), aka granny’s bonnet, displays bell-shaped, spurred flowers ranging in color from light pastels to bright reds, yellows, oranges, purples, and bicolors from midspring to early summer. Once started, columbine propagates for years, and although they are perennials, they also multiply rapidly by self-seeding. There are more than 70 species, including several native North American varieties. Most columbines bloom from mid-spring to early summer. Columbine flowers attract butterflies, bees, moths and hummingbirds. The leaves have a lacy appearance and although they look delicate, columbine is hardy and resilient. Columbine is deer-resistant and drought tolerant, too.
