Columbine has to be one of the coolest looking flowers I’ve ever grown.
Years ago when I bought my first house in Chicago there were these weird flowers growing in the garden. I had no idea what they were, I’d never seen them and they were so pretty and unique that I had to find out more. It turns out they were called columbine and they had a rich history as well as some pretty cool tricks.
I’ve always grown the blue variety however sometimes when they drop their seeds, the new flowers will grow with different colored flowers. I sometimes get a pale pink or white flower. Also their leaves change color in the fall adding some reddish-purple to the landscape.
Growing guide for Columbine
Botanical Name: Aquilegia
Type: Flower
Sun Exposure: Full sun but not too hot
Soil Type: well drained
Sow seeds directly on the soil between early spring and midsummer. Just sprinkle the seeds on the top of the soil, they actually need sunlight to germinate. Plants grow like small bushy bundles with towering flowers overhead.
Columbine comes in many colors: blue, white, pink, red, purple. The foliage turns a pretty maroon color in the fall.
Columbine is incredibly hardy despite their delicate and fragile appearance.
They grow in almost any soil conditions but prefer well drained soil. If the ground is too wet, they’ll rot. They don’t need fertilizer but it also won’t hurt in moderate amounts.
The flowers smell like hay but have a bitter unpleasant taste. Although they’ve been used as folk remedies, they are considered toxic so don’t eat them
Plants generally live 3-4 years and attract humming birds and butterflies for the nectar as well as bees for the pollen. I let my flowers bloom a few days before picking them to the local fauna can enjoy them too.
Pests and Problems
Columbine are susceptible to leaf miners. Trim back infected leaves and treat with neem oil as necessary.
Harvesting Columbine
Deadhead (pinch off dying flowers) to encourage more blooms. I pick blooming flowers to dry for spellwork. I also allow some flower heads to go to seed for future flowers or spellwork.
Preserving Columbine Flowers
Air dry flower heads on a tray in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area. It usually takes about a week, depending on conditions. Store the dry columbine flowers in a airtight jar in a cool dark place. Dried flowers tend to keep for about a year.
Read more about the shelf life of your Magical Cabinet here
In the fall you can pick seed heads once they’re dry . Typically, the seed pods keep through the winter and drop their seeds in the spring. Leave them be if you want them to self-sow. Keep seeds in an airtight container away from heat and light.
Medicinal/Nutritional uses
Columbine is Toxic and should not be ingested. It contains a cardiogenic toxin that causes both gastroenteritis and heart palpitations. In other words your heart with thump too hard and your stomach will cramp up.
While vintage texts and stories tell of using the roots, leaves, flowers and seeds in folk medicine, it is not advised. Even the animals avoid eating columbine.
Magical Properties of Columbine
Folk names: Lion’s Herb or Granny’s bonnet
Columbine has a religious symbolism of Purity and is often painted in pictures with the Blessed Mother Mary. It is also sacred to the Goddess Venus/Aphrodite and is thus used in love spells.
Columbine means dove. They’re most likely called so because the five petals look like 5 doves sitting in a circle. However the Latin name Aquilegia means eagle because the ancient Romans thought the petals looked like eagle claws.
- Use in spells to attract true love and returning lost love.
- Carry to induce Courage
- Use to attract fairies
- Pulverize seed to add to love perfumes and oils
- Add flowers or seeds to bath to get clarity in confusing situations
- Use leaves and flowers in magic to dispel jealousy.
Energetic Properties of Columbine
The flower essence has been used to help gain clarity of one’s life purpose as well as helping to dispel the confusion and overwhelm of having too many choices.
I’ve dabbled in flower essence but I’m far from an expert. Here’s a quick overview of Flower Essence and its uses as an alternative medicine.
Columbine is a staple in my garden. I keep growing it both for the added beauty to my garden and also for those times when I need a little extra courage in my pocket or my poppet or a charm bag.
Columbine from the Farm
I don’t usually get a very large harvest but by mid summer I do have more than I need and put the extra on Etsy. You can find them here but they tend to go quick.
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Disclaimer: All information herein is from traditional or historical reference and intended to help you make an informed decision. No herbal product is intended as a substitute for competent medical care.
Pursuant to the United States Postal Service regulations and other State and Federal laws, I am unable to make any claim as to the effectiveness either magical or medicinal of any of the products here or at Green Witch Farm
While the products are either traditional or specific to the craft, I am unable to make any guarantees and I’m required to advise they are “Sold as Curios Only”
