Wild Columbine is an unmistakable, elegant, spring-blooming native wildflower. It is highly adaptable to a variety of growing conditions, but it requires good drainage. Individuals are sometimes short-lived, which can be the result of too much water in the summer months after the plants have gone semi-dormant (due to crown rot). They will typically bloom in late spring or early summer, lasting for about six weeks. The flowers are eye-catching with their bright scarlet color and yellow interior, held high above the foliage on delicate, wiry stems. They possess distinctive long nectar spurs in which the sweet secretion is located at the very tips. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, long-tongued bees, butterflies, and moths cross-pollinate the flowers in search of the nectar. The soft, green, fine-textured foliage is the primary food source for the larval stage of the Columbine Duskywing. Deer and rabbits tend to leave the plants alone due to their toxic foliage, but some curious browsing may still occur.Wild Columbine is a vigorous self-seeding plant that can double its area within 2-3 years. They are quite showy when planted in groups, but charming when they inevitably end up in surprising places around the landscape. They are perfect in cottage gardens, naturalized at the woodland's edge or in wooded openings, planted on the shady side of the house, along pathways, or in rock gardens. They are well-suited to most gardens, easy to increase, and easy to manage, making them a great choice for naturalistic planting designs. This native species is less susceptible to the typical leaf-miner damage that occurs in hybrid columbines, but it is still often affected by the telltale mining trails inside the leaves. Plants can be cut back after flowering, watered lightly, and the basal growth will resprout, fresh and new.
Sources:
Herbaceous Perennial Plants by Allan M. Armitage
Growing and Propagating Wildflowers by William Cullina
The Midwestern Native Garden by Charlotte Adelman & B
