// SPECIES PROFILE · PERENNIAL · NATIVE

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Wild columbine is the elegant nodding wildflower of NE Oklahoma's spring woodlands — five spurred coral-red and yellow petals dangling from delicate stems, perfectly engineered for the long bills and tongues of returning ruby-throated hummingbirds.

// QUICK FACTS

Family: Ranunculaceae
Group: perennial
Native range: E. North America incl. eastern OK woodlands
USDA hardiness: Zones 3–8
Mature size: 1–3 ft
Sun: Part shade to dappled sun
Water: Average; well-drained
Wildlife value: Coral-and-yellow nodding flowers are top early-spring hummingbird food
Ecological role: woodland native · hummingbird flower · early spring bloom

Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) — *Aquilegia canadensis*. Photo via Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons.

Field Notes

[ growing · ecology · siting · care ]

Self-sows in shade gardens but never aggressively. Foliage is consistently chewed by columbine leafminer (cosmetic damage only, plants recover). Pair with wild geranium and Virginia bluebells for the classic spring shade-garden trio.

Why it's on this list: woodland native · hummingbird flower · early spring bloom. Part of Rooted Revival's NE Oklahoma plant catalog — natives, ecologically positive non-invasive cultivars, and food crops worth growing in the Tulsa region.

Companion Planting

[ guild · polyculture · cross-layer pairings ]

In a shaded woodland understory, wild columbine pairs naturally with: american hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana), american beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), crossvine (Bignonia capreolata), inland sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium), american alumroot (Heuchera americana), and black cherry (Prunus serotina).

Combine wild columbine with the warm-season grasses listed above for a self-sustaining matrix.

Wild Columbine

Field Notes

Companion Planting

Photo Reference