Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Ranunculaceae
Genus:
Aquilegia
Species:
Aquilegia canadensis

Growth Characteristics

Life Cycle:
Perennial
Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
3-4 ft
Light Requirements:
Part Shade, Shade
Drought Tolerance:
High
Bloom Months:
mar, apr, may, jun, jul, aug
Bloom Colors:
Red, Pink, Yellow

Native Range

United States: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Canada: Manitoba, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan

Keystone Species Ranking

Caterpillar Keystone:
★★★★☆ Based on number of butterfly and moth species using this genus as host plant (Source: National Wildlife Federation)

Host Plant for Caterpillars

mayapple borer (Papaipema rutila), Pink-patched Looper Moth (Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides), red-edged acleris moth (Acleris albicomana), stalk borer moth (Papaipema leucostigma), Tobacco budworm (Heliothis virescens), Purplish Copper (Erynnis lucilius)

Reported Fauna Sightings

Bees: Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Central bumble bee (Bombus centralis), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Fuzzy-horned bumble bee (Bombus mixtus), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Half-black bumble bee (Bombus vagans), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), Two-spotted bumble bee (Bombus bimaculatus), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), van Dyke bumble bee (Bombus vandykei), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Western bumble bee (Bombus occidentalis), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons), Yellow head bumble bee (Bombus flavifrons) Butterflies:Duskywing sp. (Erynnis Schrank)

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, well-drained loamy soil
pH:
5.5 - 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral)
Drainage:
excellent drainage required
Moisture:
consistently moist
Notes:
prefers woodland and rocky slopes

Germination Information

Pre-treatment: Surface sowing and a 3-4 week chilling period as a precaution is suggested, although adequate germination has been achieved without this protocol.

Establishment: Seeds ripen at various times within the flower and can be collected over several days. Seed collection is done by hand from locally native plants. Some sources indicate that seeds need a chilling period and light to germinate, however, adequate germination has been achieved without chilling or surface-sowing.

Source: npn.rngr.net