Columbine

There are oodles of columbine cultivars available in the nursery trade. Most have complex/unknown parentage involving species columbines from North America/Europe/Asia. Generally speaking, long-spur columbines have at least some North American parentage. In North America, columbines are mostly pollinated by hummingbirds and the long spurs have evolved to be accessible only by hummingbirds – bee…

There are oodles of columbine cultivars available in the nursery trade. Most have complex/unknown parentage involving species columbines from North America/Europe/Asia. Generally speaking, long-spur columbines have at least some North American parentage. In North America, columbines are mostly pollinated by hummingbirds and the long spurs have evolved to be accessible only by hummingbirds – bee…

One of our favorite wildflowers and an important nectar source for Ruby-throated Hummingbirds in Spring. A very tough plant – we’ve seen it growing out of cracks in rock ledges and on top of rock outcrops – it needs well-drained soil to thrive. Like many other members of the Buttercup family, it often occurs in areas of limestone but is quite adaptable in the garden. Can be short-lived but self-sows readily.

There are many, many cultivars of columbine derived from crosses primarily of North American and European species. North American species tend to have elongated spurs (which mostly hummingbirds can feed from – bumblebees and other bees typically can’t reach the nectar at the end of a long spur with their short tongues) and we usually stock varieties with such spurs. However, shorter spurred var…

There are many, many cultivars of columbine derived from crosses primarily of North American and European species. North American species tend to have elongated spurs (which mostly hummingbirds can feed from – bumblebees and other bees typically can’t reach the nectar at the end of a long spur with their short tongues) and we usually stock varieties with such spurs. However, shorter spurred var…