| American Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)
Flower 1 1/2-2 in., plant 1-3 ft., Buttercup family
The small, red and yellow flowers of the American columbine dangle from
slender stems. The skinny plants aren't much to look at, with red stems and
three-lobed leaves, but the flowers are exquisite. Hummingbirds find them
irresistible.
Some people think the nectar-filled red spurs of the petals look like
five tiny red doves (Latin for dove: columba) with their heads
together. Others call them "meetinghouses" for their resemblance to a
gathering of people. Inside, they are yellow, with long stamens hanging down
like the clappers of bells.
The columbine likes to grow in odd, rocky places in deep woods, and
people often make the mistake of "rescuing" it from barren places. It never
thrives in a crowded garden of rich soil as well as in a limestone crevice
in a cliff. Look for this beauty from late March to mid-June.
American Indians used columbine seeds to make a medicine that made
childbirth easier and the roots to treat a cough or a stomach ache. Nowadays
we just admire them. |
