Aquilegia or Columbine plants are often the first perennials to bloom in the spring, bringing welcome colour to our gardens. Columbine seeds can be planted in the fall in a shady or sunny location. Exercise some patience as Columbine will fully bloom in its second year and thereafter it will reward you by generously self-seeding. The flowers have pronounced spurs which extend out behind each bloom. These are nectaries, and are only accessible to insects with the correct equipment to harvest from them. The flowers were thought to resemble eagles' claws, and so were given the Latin name Aquilegia - for aquila is Latin for eagle.

Bloom time: Mid-spring to early summer.