Red Columbine

Aquilegia canadensis

Pollinator Value

🐛 Larval Host: Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides, Papaipema leucostigma, Pyrrhia cilisca, Aethalura intertexta, Heliothis virescens, Pyrrhia exprimens, Amphipyra tragopoginis, Ectropis crepuscularia
S13+S15 8 verified Eastern NA

Proximity Score: 0
Native Status: ✅ Outaouais ✅ Ottawa ✅ QC ✅ ON
Closest Direction: Local
CEC Eco-Regions: 5 – Northern Forests, 5.2 – Mixed Wood Shield, 5.2.3 – Algonquin/Southern Laurentians
Rarity Notes: Secure across both Ontario (S5) and Quebec (S4). Not listed under SARA or COSEWIC. Globally ranked G5 by NatureServe. Common in the Ottawa flora and listed in the 1978 Hull-Ottawa flora. Widespread across eastern North America from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic provinces.
S22 G5, S5/S4; S26 not SARA listed; S62 Common; S63 listed
Rarity Ranks: QC S4 – Apparently Secure, ON S5 – Secure
Migration: Stable
Ecological Context: Red columbine occupies rocky open woodlands, wooded slopes, cliff ledges, talus, and forest edges across the Mixed Wood Shield. In the Outaouais it occurs in sugar maple forests on rocky soils and in mixed deciduous-coniferous stands. Common in both the Ottawa and Hull floras. Typical microhabitats include limestone outcrops, sandy savannas, and gravelly riverbanks where canopy gaps admit dappled light.
S7 rocky/wooded habitats; S61 cliffs, ledges, forests; S62 Common in Ottawa; S63 listed Hull-Ottawa; S48 specimens from Hull, Gatineau Parkway

Roles: Fortress/Barrier, Insectary Plant, Pollinator Attractor
S73/S29/S72 Evidence: Fortress/Barrier: S61 keyword match: thorns? (supporting signal only)] | Insectary Plant: S64 NPPBI 'beneficial insects' flag] | Pollinator Attractor: S73 [HIGH]: S64 Xerces listed (source-classified)]
Notes: PFAF notes that red columbine is a greedy plant that inhibits the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes. This allelopathic tendency should be considered in guild design. It does well in semi-shade and tolerates poor soils, making it suitable for woodland edge plantings where competition effects are less critical.
S29 inhibits legumes, greedy plant; tolerates poor soil

Category: Analgesic, Antispasmodic, Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Febrifuge, Dermatological Aid, Gastrointestinal Aid, Gynecological Aid, Parasiticide
S28 Moerman categories; S29 PFAF medicinal uses
Notes: Extensively used in Indigenous medicine across multiple nations. Cherokee used cold infusion for gynecological complaints and heart trouble. Iroquois used compound infusion as wash for poison ivy. Meskwaki decocted root and leaves for diarrhea and stomach troubles. Omaha, Pawnee, and Ponca used crushed seed infusion for headache and fever. Root is astringent and diuretic, chewed or made into weak tea. Seeds used as a parasiticide to rid hair of lice.
S28 25 ethnobotanical uses across Cherokee, Iroquois, Meskwaki, Ojibwa, Omaha, Pawnee, Ponca; S29 root astringent, seed parasiticide

❌ Not Edible

Foraging Notes: PFAF rates edibility 2/5. Flowers are sweet and nectar-rich, used raw in salads. Root is reported as chewed but likely for medicinal rather than food purposes. The plant belongs to Ranunculaceae, a family with mildly toxic members, so caution is advised with any part except flowers.
S29 flowers raw, sweet, nectar-rich; root chewed; S28 no Food category uses