home | spring garden| rock garden

Colombine

Columbine is native to eastern North America. Mature plants are about 20 inches tall. Flowers come in a variety of colors, sometimes incorporating two colors into one flower. Petals form hollow spurs that only allow pollinators with long beaks and tongues to reach nectar. Although the flowers are edible and safe in small amounts, the seeds and roots of columbine can be very toxic.

Leaf buds Close-up of flower buds. Flowers have 5 petals, and each petal forms a tube or spur that contains nectar. An open reddish-pink flower from the front shows its star shape. Mature fruit encloses seeds Whole colombine plant