Aquilegia vulgaris L.
Capon's-feather
Columbine, also known as granny's bonnet, is a graceful native perennial of the buttercup family. It forms a clump of soft, blue-green, divided leaves with rounded, lobed leaflets, and in early summer sends up branched stems carrying distinctive nodding flowers.
About
Columbine, also known as granny's bonnet, is a graceful native perennial of the buttercup family. It forms a clump of soft, blue-green, divided leaves with rounded, lobed leaflets, and in early summer sends up branched stems carrying distinctive nodding flowers. Each bloom has five spreading sepals and five hooded petals that taper into long, backward-curving hooked spurs, in the wild typically violet-blue to purple, though cultivated forms come in pink, white and other shades.
In its truly native settings it grows in damp woodland, scrub, fens and on base-rich, often calcareous soils, but it is also a long-standing cottage-garden plant that readily self-seeds and naturalises, so many populations are garden escapes. It tolerates sun or partial shade and a range of well-drained soils. The spurred flowers are a favourite of long-tongued bumblebees, and the seeds appeal to finches, making it a charming addition to informal and woodland-edge plantings.
Also known as
Columbine · Common Columbine · Culverwort · European Columbine · European Crowfoot · Granny Bonnets · Granny's-bonnet · garden columbine
Synonyms
Aquilegia albopleno · Aquilegia atrata vulgaris · Aquilegia bertolonii parviflora · Aquilegia caryophylloides · Aquilegia concolor · Aquilegia elegans · Aquilegia haenkeana · Aquilegia jucunda · Aquilegia ochroleuca
In our seed mixes
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.