WILD COLUMBINE                             RED

Aquilegia canadensis                 April-July

Crowfoot Family

Flower:  1-2” long

Plant:  1-2’ high

    Nodding at the ends of long stems, these red and yellow flowers have long spurs and many protruding yellow stamens.  Long-stalked compound leaves, 4-6” in length, are divided into 9-27 light green leaflets.

 

    Rocky outcrops and wooded or open slopes are likely spots to find this flower.  Bumblebees, butterflies, moths and hummingbirds all feed on the nectar contained deep in the spur.  The bumblebee, however, unable to reach the nectar via the usual route, may bite a hole in the rear of the spur in order to feed directly.  This action thwarts the mechanism for pollination since the bee does not get exposed to pollen.

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