FNPS Plant Database

Aquilegia canadensis

columbine, eastern red columbine
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: NULL

Nomenclature

Common Name:

columbine, eastern red columbine

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Aquilegia canadensis

Family:

Rannunculaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

flower

Size:

2 - 2.5 ft tall by 1.5 - 2 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

yellow,red

Fruit Color:

Phenology:

winter dormant

Noted For:

Showy Flowers

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant or rock garden.

Considerations:

If conditions are right, it's a prolific reseeder.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Specialty Provider, Friends

Propagation:

Seed.

Light:

Part Sun, Shade

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

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Usually moist, occasional inundation -to- Not wet but not extremely dry

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Low/no tolerance of salty wind or direct salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Loam, Lime Rock

Soil pH:

Acidic to highly calcareous (adaptable)

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

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Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Hummingbirds, Birds

Blooms attract bees, butterflies, and hawk moths

Blooms attract hummingbirds. Seeds consumed by small birds.

Native Habitats:

Bluffs and rock outcrops in moist deciduous forests. May also be found on shallow loamy soils over rock.

Natural Range in Florida:

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Comments:

Ethnobotany:

General Comments:

Citations:

Huegel, Craig N. (2012). Native Wildflowers and Other Ground Covers for Florida Landscapes. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


Osorio, Rufino. (2001). A Gardener's Guide to Florida's Native Plants. University Press of Florida, Gainesville.


University of Tennessee Extension Service. (2010). Desired pH Range and salt tolerance of common nursery plants. ( https://plantsciences.tennessee.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2021/10/Desired-pH-Range-List.pdf ). Accessed 2025. University of Tennessee Extension, Knoxville.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa.

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