Ready to grow columbine plants? Botanically known as Aquilegia, this genus of around 70 species comes packed with a variety of colorful plants. They look stunning planted in groups and great on their own. The columbine plant (Aquilegia spp.) is the ideal perennial for your flower beds. The tall stems feature delicate flowers in an incredible range of colors and shapes across nearly 70 species. But don’t let its delicate look fool you – Aquilegia is hardy, tolerates a wide range of growing conditions, and is resistant to several pests and diseases.
Beyond their appearance, columbine flowers are beloved by many pollinators that flock to the plants in spring and summer. Flower beds filled with Aquilegia attract bees and butterflies en masse. You may even spot a hummingbird or two.
These plants are standouts on their own, but look even better when planted in a group. As the flower stalks reach high above the foliage, they are great for mixed planting with other leafy plants. The flowers will emerge from packed beds to tower over the foliage and add a pop of color. No matter where you plant your columbine, you and the pollinators will undoubtedly enjoy their stunning flowers. Aquilegia’s journey to becoming a home garden staple is an incredibly long one, beginning 40,000 years ago when the world looked incredibly different from what it does today.
The story begins around Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where the ancestors of these modern plants originate. Just three ancestral species form the makeup of all modern Aquilegia species from these two regions. So how did they end up in North America?
Archaeologists believe the area of Beringia, a stretch of ocean between Russia and Alaska/Canada, was once traversable land that connected Asia and North America. This suggestion emerged after Late Pleistocene animal remains were discovered on the islands of the Bering Sea in the 19th century. Further research has suggested the existence of a Bering land bridge that both people and plants crossed between 10 000 and 40 000 years ago.
Columbine was one of the many plants that made this journey from continent to continent. Genetic studies show the Asian ancestral species Aquilegia viridiflora made its way to Alaska, spreading from there to other parts of Canada and the United States.
As it moved through parts of the continent, the plant evolved into the many variations we see today. The colors and shapes of the flowers modified themselves to attract pollinators and facilitate the spread of the genus.
Columbines changed their color to flowering in blue, in order to attract bees and butterflies in particular. Yellow columbines changed shapes to allow hawk moths to reach the nectar. The columbine’s red flowers produce sweeter nectar to favor hummingbirds. Each species adapted to the pollinators in their area in order to spread, allowing them to survive the 10,000-year journey into the modern day. Today, we have around 70 species of columbine across the world, thanks to this long process of evolution. They are largely grown as ornamental perennials in home gardens and are particularly popular in North America where they withstand colder winter temperatures well.
Horticulturalists have also developed several hybrids with different shapes and colors to choose from. There are also Aquilegias of varying heights and structures to suit different types of planting. No matter your garden space and design – formal or informal, large or small – you’ll certainly find a columbine flower suitable for you.