Specimen record
Wild Columbine
Aquilegia canadensis
Description
A graceful native wildflower of rocky ledges and woodland edges, wild columbine produces distinctive nodding red-and-yellow flowers with long upward-pointing spurs that contain nectar. It is an important nectar source for ruby-throated hummingbirds, which arrive in Massachusetts in May just as columbine reaches peak bloom. The plant self-seeds readily on rocky, well-drained sites.
Identification tips
- 1Nodding red-and-yellow flowers with 5 long tubular spurs pointing upward
- 2Yellow stamens and pistils dangle below the flower
- 3Compound leaves divided into rounded, 3-lobed leaflets with a blue-green cast
- 4Grows on rocky outcrops, ledges, and dry woodland edges
- 5Seed pods erect, splitting into 5 papery follicles
Specimen & preservation notes
Press flowering stems with flowers in profile so the characteristic spurs are visible. Include basal leaves. Flowers retain color fairly well when dried. Collect seed pods at maturity for an additional herbarium sheet.
Habitats
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 3 | ||||||||
| 4 |
Collection notes
Season check
Guide window matches observed bloom.
Flowering records: 643 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 267 observations within 25 km