Somehow, hundreds of years ago, there arose a superstition that if you fed columbines to lions in the spring, they would receive extra strength and renewed vigor. I have to admit, I’ve never tried it myself but this, like many of the superstitions surrounding plants sounds absolutely fascinating.
Our small red and yellow native Columbine looks a little different from the columbines native to Europe (where this superstition originated) but all columbines share remarkably similar genetic material. This manifests in many different ways; the result being different flower forms, shapes and sizes.
These variations have occurred, in part, to accommodate pollinators and the evolution of columbines can be easily traced based on where they grow and the most common pollinators in their particular region.
For example, the long spurred columbines, whose spurs can measure 10 inches or more! are almost exclusively pollinated by the hawk moth whose tongue measures an astonishing 9 – 11 inches long! Hawk moths are common in the southwestern parts of North America, where the long spurred Columbine is also common.
Our own red and yellow Columbine has more modest spurs, measuring only a few inches long which makes it perfectly suited for pollination by the ruby throated hummingbird, which is found exclusively in the eastern United States. Interestingly, the red and yellow Columbine also has a higher sugar content in the nectar, adding to its appeal to the hummingbird
Columbines with short spurs are pollinated by bumblebees. Both short spurred columbines, such as the lovely blue Colorado Columbine and bumblebees are prevalent in the same regions.
In addition to being an important pollinator plant, our native red and yellow Columbine and is a wonderful wildflower to grow in the garden. It needs well drained soils and partial shade but seems to be tolerant to a fairly wide range of growing conditions. These are prolific self seeders so once you get one plant established and happy, even though a single plant only lives 2 – 3 years, you should have columbines for years to come. Which may come in handy IF your lions seem sluggish in the spring time! Even without the lions, this is a super plant to include in your garden.