CANADIAN COLUMBINE SEEDS

Aquilegia canadensis

The most common native columbine in North America. More often listed as the ‘Wild Columbine', but this is hardly fair to the species native to the western regions of the continent. In Iowa this species is practically a weed, and indeed a favorite weed of mine. It is so ubiquitous as to be overlooked for the purpose of landscaping, but at Chanticleer it is used to spectacular effect. En masse these plants are actually fairly impressive in bloom. The persistent foliage is attractive and relatively inconspicuous. According to Armitage, “like citizens of that northern neighbor, the plants are quiet, conservative, and do their job without bluster." Lovely.

Old seeds often germinate readily, but fresh seeds require stratification. Sow outdoors in autumn or into pots of moist soil placed in a sheltered location outdoors to overwinter. Seeds will begin to germinate during the first warm days of spring. Seedlings should be plucked promptly from pots and transplanted into garden soil as soon as possible in spring. These hardy plants are adaptable to diverse soils and exposures but appreciate some shade where summers are sweltering. Individual plants sometimes seem short-lived but they self-sow reliably.

As an ethnobotanical the seeds of this species are listed repeatedly as a “love medicine". The freshly ripened seeds do have a magical fragrance when crushed. Roots may be marginally useful for medicine but we cannot recommend this species for internal use.

Packet contains at least 100 seeds.