columbine
Aquilegia L.
A genus overview; characteristics vary between its species.
Columbines are perennial herbs arising from slender woody rhizomes. Their species boundaries can be complicated by natural hybridisation: Flora of North America records that even relatively distant species may interbreed. In dry regions, small isolated populations can also develop distinctive local features. Flora of North America: Aquilegia
Botanical name
Aquilegia L. is an accepted genus in Ranunculaceae. No species or cultivar is assigned to the genus-level catalog record. Kew POWO: Aquilegia
Recognizing the plant
Five sepals surround five petals with backward-projecting spurs. Flora of North America describes nectar-bearing tissue at the enlarged tips of those spurs. Flower colours include white, blue, yellow and red. Spur length and shape vary greatly, and flowers may nod or face more openly. Below the flowers, the leaves are divided into groups of leaflets with lobed or rounded-toothed edges. Flowers may occur alone or in small branching clusters at the stem tips. The dry fruits form a cluster of beaked follicles, containing smooth black seeds. Flora of North America: Aquilegia
Native range
Aquilegia is native across temperate parts of the Northern Hemisphere and south into Guatemala, according to Kew. Its broad distribution encompasses many perennial species. Kew POWO: AquilegiaFlora of North America: Aquilegia
Botanical sources
Reviewed 2026-10-11. Seasonal development varies with location and growing conditions.