Latin name: Aquilegia vulgaris
Common name: Columbine
Other names: American snapdragon, capon’s tail, culverwort, dove plant, God’s breath, granny’s bonnet, lion’s herb, naked woman’s foot, pigeon flower
How to spot it and where to find it: Despite the American nickname — it’s also sometimes called American bluebell — wild columbine is native to the UK. As with all Aquilegia, it is a clump-forming herbaceous perennial that produces bell-shaped flowers on long, reddish stems. The wild version is usually blue, but purple, mauve, pink and white variants have developed in gardens, where it has long been cultivated.
Interesting facts: The Latin name Aquilegia is thought to have derived from aquila, meaning eagle, perhaps because the curved nectar spurs look a little like an eagle’s talon. The popular name, columbine, is from…
