- Aquilegia vulgaris (Wikipedia)
Aquilegia vulgaris is a species of columbine native to Europe with common names that include: European columbine, common columbine, granny’s nightcap, and granny’s bonnet. It is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant growing to 1.2 m tall, with branched, thinly hairy stems. The leaves are biternate; each leaf has three groups of three leaflets. The flowers, in various shades of purple, blue, pink and white, are pendent or horizontal with strongly hooked spurs, and appear in early summer.
- In traditional herbalism columbine was considered sacred to Venus; carrying a posy of it was said to arouse the affections of a loved one.
- The [columbine] plant is a member of the poisonous Ranunculus family and all parts of the plant, including the seeds, are poisonous if ingested.
- The Latin specific epithet vulgaris means “common”.
Young columbine in the backyard