Wild columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Red and yellow lanterns timed for the first hummingbirds.
Hardiness: zones 3 to 8
Light: part shade
Size: about 2 ft tall, 1 ft wide
From: E. North America
Here: Hardy in the Lake Erie shore climate (zone 6b to 7a), so it can live outdoors in the ground.
Good for: pollinators.
Native to: Northeast, Midwest & Great Lakes, Southeast, Great Plains & Texas, Eastern Canada. Hardy in zones 3 to 8.
The story
Wild columbine's red and yellow flowers hang upside down with long hollow spurs full of nectar. They open just as ruby-throated hummingbirds return north, and the two have kept that appointment for a very long time.
Planting
Part shade and well-drained soil; it will grow in a crack in a rock wall.
Growing
Let it self-sow. Each plant lives only a few years, but there are always seedlings.
Harvest and use
Nectar for hummingbirds and long-tongued bumblebees in April and May.
What to watch for
Leaf miners scribble pale trails in the leaves. Ugly, harmless.
See if Wild columbine fits your yard
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More native and wild plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home