Welcome back to Meet the Plants Monday!

This week’s plant is one of my favorites for late spring to early summer interest: meet Aquilegia canadensis, whose common name is Canadian Columbine. This is a short-lived perennial that’s happy to self-seed and is happiest in an area where you’ll let it pick and choose where it wants to grow. This is a Wisconsin native!

Like other Columbines, this one has ruffled basal foliage, and then red nodding flowers appear on long stems in May and June. Plan on these reaching about 24″ tall on average and spreading about 1 foot. They are perfect for a shade or part-shade garden but can also tolerate full sun as long as the soil is kept moist.

You can deadhead these as they bloom to keep the plant producing more flowers, but be sure to leave some of the dried seed pods so it can self-seed. Cut them back in fall or spring – they are commonly one of the earliest perennials I see with new growth in March/April.

Keep in mind that these will tend to die down by the height of summer, so pick companion plantings that will pick up where they leave off to keep the seasonal interest going. They pair well with Solomon’s Seal, Astilbe, Lady’s Mantle, Hosta, etc. I have used them both in a woodland-type planting as well as in another bed where they are paired with Penstemon and are succeeded by late-blooming Grapeleaf Anemones.

I love this plant because the flowers are kind of whimsical, while the color brightens up shadier areas. They are also hugely beneficial to wildlife, including hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and hawk moths. Deer, rabbits, and pests (such as Columbine leaf miner) tend to leave these alone as well.

Can I say there are no downsides to this plant? Small drawbacks include leaf scorch if conditions are too sunny, and the need for a tolerance for self-seeding plants for best results.