Native #6:
RED COLUMBINE
Aquilegia canadense

 

© Bill Hilton Jr.

Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadense, is especially valuable in a hummingbird garden because it blooms starting in late March across the eastern U.S.--just when Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are beginning to return from their wintering grounds. Feeding hummingbirds must hover directly beneath the Columbine flower, aiming their beaks straight upward to sample the nectar.

If you have a sharp photo of this hummingbird flower you would like to contribute for this page, please send it to PROJECTS with info about when and where the photo was taken, the photographer's name, and any anecdotal info about the plant.

CULTIVATION TIPS

Perennial with tap root
Blooms early spring to mid-summer
Average, well-drained or moist soil
Sun or light shade
Zones 2-8

 
NOTE: We are not horticulturists, so we regret we can't answer specific questions about how to plant and propagate native hummingbird flowers, but your local agriculture extension office or Master Gardener group may be able to help. We're also unable to provide names of sources from which you can order native plants. Please do NOT collect native plants from the wild unless they are growing in a site under immediate threat from development; instead, try to find a reputable nursery near you that raises native plants from cuttings or seeds.

Back to #5 Spotted Jewelweed; forward to #7 Canada Lily

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