Home > Landscaping > Native Plants for Western Washington Gardens and Restoration Projects
Aquilegia formosa
Red Columbine
At a Glance: Delicate perennial with large nodding, star-shaped, spurred flowers that are a favorite of hummingbirds.
Height: Can grow up to 3 feet (1 meter) tall.
Growth Form: Herb.
Stems: Stems are mostly unbranched and erect.
Leaves: The leaves, mostly basal, are many-times divided into small leaflets. More specifically they are twice divided into segments of three. Leaf blades are hairless to hairy; shape: compound ternate and triangularly-shaped; leaflet size: 8-35 mm across; color: green above and paler to glaucus below.
Flowers: Flowers have 5 long, straight red spurs with bulbous, glandular tips. Stamens and styles protrude from a central tuft. Each plant usually has 2-5 drooping flowers; primary color: red with yellow tinge.
Flowering Period: May, June, July, August.
Fruits: Each flower produces approximately 5 erect follicles with hairy, spreading tips and numerous black, wrinkled seeds (Pojar, 180).
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 full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60%  mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%
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wet moist dry
Wetland Indicator Status:
NI (no indicator data) |
low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation
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Aquatic and Wetland:
Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs
Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas |
Saltwater Areas:
In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches
Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas
Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks |
Forests and Thickets:
Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets
Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas
Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites |
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover
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Birds: The flowers are often visited by hummingbirds. The seeds are eaten by sparrows, juncos, and finches.
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Suggested References
- Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 168.
- Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 277.
- Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 292.
- Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 180.
The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.
