Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

$46³³ $49²²

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Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Profile & Growing Essentials

Cold hardy, Native, Flowering, Deer-resistant, Attracts Hummingbirds, Attracts pollinators, Drought resistant, and Container Friendly

Specifications

Botanical Name

Aquilegia canadensis
Height

2-3 ft
Width

1 ft
Growing Zones

3-8
Sunlight
- Full sun
- Partial shade
Growth Rate

Moderate
Flower Color
- Red
- Yellow
Leaf Color
- Green
Native

Yes
Pollinator Friendly

Yes
Bloom Period

Late Spring, Early Summer

Planting & Care Instructions

Where to Plant

Sunlight: This native beauty thrives in partial shade with about 2 to 4 hours of sun, though it can tolerate full sun in cooler northern zones if kept moist. Too much direct afternoon heat in the south may scorch the delicate foliage and shorten the bloom time.
Soil: Aim for well drained soil that stays consistently moist but never soggy. If you have heavy clay, mix in some compost or leaf mold to improve drainage because standing water will cause the roots to rot.

Watering Requirements

During the first year, water your Columbine twice a week to help the root system get established in its new home. Once mature, these plants are quite hardy and can handle dry spells, but inconsistent moisture often leads to powdery mildew or smaller flowers. Think of regular watering as a way to keep the foliage looking lush and green throughout the heat of summer.

Pruning Tips

Wild Columbine flowers on the growth produced during the current season, so you should deadhead spent blooms to encourage a second flush of flowers. After the plant finishes blooming in late summer, you can cut the foliage back to the ground if it starts looking tired or messy. This cleanup prevents leaf miners from overwintering and allows the plant to focus energy on next year's root development.

Fertilizer Needs

Apply a balanced, slow release fertilizer early in the spring just as new growth starts to peek through the soil. Avoid using high nitrogen fertilizers late in the summer because this produces tender new growth that won't survive the first hard frost. A light touch is best here since too much food can actually make the stems floppy and weak.

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Growing Zones 3-8

Find Your Growing Zone!

For a touch of magic in your landscape, order the beautiful Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis), a native North American woodland plant! You'll love its fancy, drooping spurred red blooms with center yellow corollas. The shyly bowing blooms rise above lacy, notched compound leaves in soft blue-green. Forming from a basal rosette of fine-textured foliage that looks incredible all growing season long!

Kids of all ages are drawn to the blooms and so are hummingbirds, butterflies and bees that need to do a few acrobatics to reach these nodding blossoms, but they'll love them just the same for their nectar and pollen! Snip a few blooms for your bouquets indoors and encourage reblooming outdoors!

These cold-hardy herbaceous perennials grow throughout a wide range of USDA growing zones and can be 2-3 feet tall when blooming! The mounds of greenery form 18-inch tall and wide clumps that look fantastic long after the flowers fade!

Planting and Application:

This is an original wildflower species native to rocky, woodland areas! Plant this at the front of your border where you'll be able to study it. Share them with the neighborhood kids, they'll be entranced! Perfect for a Children's garden, a Cottage garden or along a shady path. Let Columbines ramble through an informal perennial garden or pollinator border, let them crop up in Rock Gardens, or throughout the lazy gardener's landscape!

These natives will naturalize and self-seed when they are happy, and you'll delight in seeing them pop up in the most interesting new spots in your yard in the springtime! But don't worry, these delicate ephemeral flowers won't give you any trouble or cause you any grief! Instead, they'll simply bring you increasing joy. Spring is here!

Darling Red Sprus & Yellow Corollas!
Cold-Hardy Native Wildflower
Pollinators & Hummingbirds Love Them
Lovely Cut Flowers & Lacy Foliage Mounds
Naturalizing, Wildflower & Woodland Borders, Perennial & Cottage Gardens

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Plant your Columbine perennials in a sun to partially shaded location in rich, well-drained moist soils. Use compost or mulch around the root system to hold in moisture and keep the roots cool. Deadhead to encourage a rebloom, then either remove the second flush of faded seedpods unless you want to allow self-seeding! Once the foliage dies back (either during a hot dry summer or in the late autumn) remove it to the ground to clean the mound. Top off with additional mulch or compost for winter insulation.

Full Sun & Partial Sun
Well-Drained Enriched Soil
Regular Moisture - Can Be Drought Tolerant Once Established
Deer & Rabbit Seldom Bother These
Deadhead After Bloom & Prune Late Winter

Charming two-tone Wild Columbines are ready to brighten your garden! Enjoy these spring bloomers and add their native elegance to your landscape with the help of Nature Hills!

Under $50	$9.99
$50 - $99.99	$14.99
$100 - $149.99	$16.99
$150 - $198.99	$24.99
$199+	FREE

Wild Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Plant Sentry™

Delivery and Shipping

Specifications