OF THE CAROLINAS & GEORGIA

Spermatophytes (seed plants): Angiosperms (flowering plants): Eudicots: Ranunculales

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae   Go to FSUS key



SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)

Aquilegia canadensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America

Aquilegia canadensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-02-001:

Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Aquilegia australis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Aquilegia canadensis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)

Aquilegia coccinea

 

COMMON NAME:
Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine


         To see larger pictures, click or hover over the thumbnails.

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913    pnd_aqca_001_lvd

        

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Richard and Teresa Ware    rtw_a_canadensis_sharp

March        

Sepals divergent from floral axis, lance-ovate to oblong-ovate, per Flora of North America.

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Ben Geer Keys    bgk112_b

April        

The tube-shaped flower accommodates a hummingbird's bill, per The Wildlife Gardener's Guide (Marinelli, 2008).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    s070415_a

April    Greenville County    SC

Leaves divided into 3 rounded segments that may be divided again into 3, per Wild Flowers of NC, 1st edition.


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE leaves that resemble Thalictrum

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Steve Marlow    snmcolumbine_104_01lo

April    Greenville County    SC

The only Columbine native to the East: It can't be mistaken, per Wildflowers of the Southern Mountains (Smith, 1998).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Tim Spira    tps_acanadensis_2

April        

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm0305v_03

May    Buncombe County    NC

NC Arboretum

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm080526_001

May    Greenville County    SC

Each follicle resembles a slender capsule and contains many seeds, per Growing and Propagating Wild Flowers (Phillips, 1985).


click here to see other plants that look similar to this COMPARE fruits that are an aggregate of follicles

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm080526_009

May    Greenville County    SC

Seeds are lustrous, black, obovoid, angled, 1.5-1.8mm long and 1mm broad, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Keith Bradley    kab_a_canadensis_73303

May    Polk County    NC

The spurs are straight (vs. hooked in A. vulgaris), per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm080602_003

June    Greenville County    SC

Right after the flowers, 5 light green papery follicles are evident, per Growing and Propagating Wild Flowers (Phillips, 1985).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

Harry Davis    hld112_crw_6936

July    Buncombe County    NC

Blue Ridge Parkway

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm090709_201

July    Haywood County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

The flowers are creatively designed: red sepals alternate w yellow petals, per Gardening with the Native Plants of Tennessee (Hunter, 2002).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm090709_204

July    Haywood County    NC

Pisgah National Forest: Pisgah Ranger District

The five petals have yellow blades and hollow red spurs that contain nectar, per Wildflowers of Tennessee (Carman, 2005).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm0108d_23

August    Buncombe County    NC

NC Arboretum

When in leaf, can be mistaken for Thalictrum or Enemion; look for old fruits, per Weakley's Flora (2022).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    s070815_a

August    Greenville County    SC

Leaves glabrous above, glaucous beneath, per Vascular Flora of the Carolinas (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968).

image of Aquilegia canadensis, Eastern Columbine, Canada Columbine

JK Marlow    jkm0309k_30

September    Rutherford County    NC

Chimney Rock Park

 

 

WEAKLEY'S FLORA OF THE SOUTHEASTERN US (4/24/22):
Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH PLANTS NATIONAL DATABASE:
Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

SYNONYMOUS WITH Floristic Synthesis of North America. BONAP (Kartesz, 2021)
Aquilegia canadensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH Flora of North America
Aquilegia canadensis

SYNONYMOUS WITH VASCULAR FLORA OF THE CAROLINAS (Radford, Ahles, & Bell, 1968) 076-02-001:
Aquilegia canadensis   FAMILY Ranunculaceae

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aquilegia australis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aquilegia canadensis

INCLUDING Manual of the Southeastern Flora (Small, 1933, 1938)
Aquilegia coccinea

 

Find by SCIENTIFIC NAME:

112

Forb
Perennial

Habitat: forests, woodlands, rock outcrops, especially (though by no means entirely) on calcareous or mafic substrates, per Weakley's Flora

Native to the Carolinas & Georgia

Common in Mountains, common in Carolina Piedmont (uncommon in NC Costal Plain, rare elsewhere in GA & SC)

map
CLICK HERE to see a map, notes, and images from Weakley's Flora of the Southeastern US.

Click here to see a map showing all occurrences known to SERNEC, a consortium of southeastern herbaria. (Zoom in to see more detail.)

LEAVES:
Ternately compound, with 2-3 levels of compoundness
Basal & alternate

FLOWER:
Spring/Summer
Red/Yellow
5 sepals
5 petals
Superior ovary

FRUIT:
Spring/Summer
Aggregate of follicles

 

TO LEARN MORE about this plant, look it up in a good book!



 


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