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Aquilegia formosa

Aquilegia formosa: Flower
Photo by Derrick Ditchburn. High resolution version

Common name:	Western Columbine	Family:	Ranunculaceae
Author:	Fisch.	Botanical references:	60, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, it belongs to a family that contains a number of mildly toxic species. It is therefore wise to exercise some caution. The flowers are probably perfectly safe to eat.
Range:	Western N. America - Alaska to California, east to W. Montana and Utah.
Habitat:	Widely distributed in many habitats from the coast to the coastal mountains[60]. Moist woods and damp places in scrub and on banks from sea-level to 3000 metres[187].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	2

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	A. formosa var. communis[B] A. formosa var. fosteri[B] A. formosa var. hypolasia[B] A. formosa var. megalantha[B] A. formosa var. pauciflora[B] A. formosa var. truncata[B] A. formosa var. wawawensis[B] A. mohavensis[B] A. shockleyi[B]
Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Crimson Columbine [B], Western Columbine [P],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	formosa = beautiful
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Ranunculales. Buttercup family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Us(Indian)

Physical Characteristics

Perennial growing to 0.75m by 0.45m . It is hardy to zone 3. It is in flower from May to August, and the seeds ripen from July to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 2/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy) and medium (loamy) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge.

Edible Uses

Flowers Leaves Root.

Flowers - raw. Rich in nectar, they are sweet and delightful[172, 213], they make a very attractive addition to mixed salads and can also be used as a thirst-quenching munch in the garden[K]. Children enjoy sucking out the sweet nectar from the base of the flowers[257].
Early spring greens cooked and eaten as a vegetable[257]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Root - cooked. Used by the N. American Indians as a famine food[213]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antispasmodic Diaphoretic Parasiticide Resolvent Salve.

Western columbine was quite frequently employed by a number of native North American Indian tribes who used it to treat a variety of complaints[257]. It is little used in modern herbalism.
Antispasmodic, diaphoretic, parasiticide, resolvent, salve[172].
A decoction of the root is used in the treatment of diarrhoea and stomach aches[257].
A decoction of the roots and leaves is used in the treatment of VD, dizziness and biliousness[257].
The mashed fresh roots can be rubbed briskly on aching rheumatic joints[257]. A poultice of chewed roots or leaves is applied to bee stings, sores etc[257].
A decoction of the leaves is used in the treatment of sore throats, coughs and colds[257].
The seeds can be chewed as a remedy for stomach aches[257].

Other Uses

Hair Parasiticide.

The seed is used to rid the hair of lice[172, 257]. The whole plant is boiled up and used as a hair wash[213, 257].
The seeds are aromatic. They can be crushed and rubbed on the body as a perfume or placed in a sachet and stored with clothes to impart a nice smell[257].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, preferring a moist but not wet soil and a sheltered sunny position[1] or partial shade[187]. Intolerant of heavy clay[200].
A very ornamental plant, it is hardy to about -15° c[187].
A short-lived species, often dying out after 2 - 3 years, though it usually produces seed prolifically[200, 233]. However, they are very apt to hybridize with other members of the genus and so it becomes difficult to keep a species true to type if more than one is grown in the garden[200].
This species is closely related to A. canadensis[200] and A. flavescens[60].
Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233].
A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[54].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be slow to germinate[200]. Stored seed can be sown in late winter in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer.
Division in spring[200].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[B] Data (Latin & Common names, other references) from the BONAP's Synonymized Checklist of the Vascular Flora of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[C] Taxon data. from the CalFlora database.
Images from the CalPhoto database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Ranunculaceae.

[CHINA] Data Very detailed botanical/identification info. from the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[54] Hatfield. A. W. How to Enjoy your Weeds. Frederick Muller Ltd 1977 ISBN 0-584-10141-4
Interesting reading.

[60] Hitchcock. C. L. Vascular Plants of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press 1955
A standard flora for Western N. America with lots of information on habitat etc. Five large volumes, it is not for the casual reader.

[172] Schofield. J. J. Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest.
A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.

[187] Phillips. R. & Rix. M. Perennials Volumes 1 and 2. Pan Books 1991 ISBN 0-330-30936-9
Photographs of over 3,000 species and cultivars of ornamental plants together with brief cultivation notes, details of habitat etc.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[213] Weiner. M. A. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books 1980 ISBN 0-449-90589-6
A nice book to read though it is difficult to look up individual plants since the book is divided into separate sections dealing with the different medicinal uses plus a section on edible plants. Common names are used instead of botanical.

[233] Thomas. G. S. Perennial Garden Plants J. M. Dent & Sons, London. 1990 ISBN 0 460 86048 8
A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.

[257] Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998 ISBN 0-88192-453-9
Very comprehensive but terse guide to the native uses of plants. Excellent bibliography, fully referenced to each plant, giving a pathway to further information. Not for the casual reader.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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