“Pink Columbine” – Spring 2013 – Whitney Avenue – Wilkinsburg, PA
“A Plant a Day till Spring” will highlight one plant a day, starting on the winter solstice (December 21, 2013)… And ending on the vernal equinox (March 20, 2014)… If all goes to plan I will be starting with old Snowdrop photos from 2013… And ending with new photos of Snowdrops in 2014…
Aquilegia… But much more commonly called “Columbine… Is a genus of perennial plants found in woodlands and meadows of the Northern Hemisphere… The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin word for eagle (aquila)… Because the shape of the flower petals… Which are said to resemble an eagle’s claw… The common name “columbine” comes from the Latin for “dove”, due to the resemblance of the inverted flower to five doves clustered together
Columbine is a hardy perennial which propagates by seed… It will grow to a height of 15 to 20 inches… It will grow in full sun… However… It prefers growing in partial shade and well drained soil… But it will tolerate average soils and dry soil conditions… Propagation is simply done by broadcasting the seeds over prepared soil… This is best done in late-summer or early fall… Columbine does not bloom the first year… Sowing in late-summer allows the plant to get the vegetative cycle out of the way… Allowing the blooms to commence the following year…
The flowers of various species of columbine were consumed in moderation by Native Americans as a condiment with other fresh greens… They are reported to be very sweet… And apparently safe if consumed in small quantities… The plant’s seeds and roots are highly poisonous however… And contain toxins which cause both severe gastroenteritis and heart palpitations if consumed as food… Native Americans used very small amounts of Aquilegia root as a treatment for ulcers… However… The medical use of this plant is better avoided due to its high toxicity… Columbine poisonings may be fatal…
plant petunias and question everything – chriscondello
New To writing and never had to site sources before… These “Plant a Day Till Spring” posts are simply intended to kill time until spring… My source is Wikipedia.org… The photography is all my own… And I am adding my own information… But much of this is just related from the web…
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