Aquilegia formosa
$6.60 – $7.30
We do not take online orders for plants. Please come in to the nursery, call or email: (510) 234-2222 or sales@thewatershednursery.com
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Western columbine
This 1-3′ tall short-lived perennial is great for butterfly and bird gardens. A good nectar source for hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Other birds such as finches and sparrows eat the seeds.
Combine with other partial shade plants such as California coffeeberry, giant chain fern, island alum root, Douglas iris, hummingbird sage, and currants.
Needs moist well- drained soils. Removing old flowers will prolong bloom. When plants are finished blooming cut down to the ground to rejuvenate plant with new growth.
Red and yellow flowers from April – August.
Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
Water: Moderate, High
Soil: Clay, Loam, Sand
Other: Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Deer Resistant
| Ecological Value | Food source for bees, birds, butterflies, and hummingbirds, which serve as a primary pollinator. |
|---|---|
| Container | D-16-O, 1-Gal, D-16 |
| Historical Uses | Some Plateau Indian tribes used Aquilegia formosa to concoct a perfume. |
| Distribution | Native to western North America, from Alaska to Baja California, and eastward to Montana and Wyoming. |
| Elevation | Between 3000 and 9700 feet |
| Communities | |
| Habitat | Grows in partially open to wooded areas where soil retains moisture. |
| Toxicity | The flowers are edible, with a sweet taste—though the seeds can be fatal if eaten, and most parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glycosides. |
