Columbine agg. - Aquilegia
The usual form has flowers that are purple-blue or violet in colour, but there are a number of garden varieties and hybrids are frequent. For this reason we have treated Aquilegia vulgaris as an aggregate.
Occurs as a naturalised garden escape in woodland and on disturbed ground.
Flowers May to July.
Perennial.
Widespread and fairly frequent as a casual in Britain.
Occasional as a naturalised garden escape in Leicestershire and Rutland. In the 1979 Flora survey of Leicestershire it was found in 10 of the 617 tetrads.
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
11 June 2015
Paul Ruddoch
Melton Country Park
26 May 2015
Graham Calow
Smithy Lane, Aston Firs near Sapcote
26 May 2016
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
11 June 2015
seeds
David Gould
Wolsey Island, Leicester
15 May 2015
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Species profile
- Common names
- Columbine
- Species group:
- Wildflowers
- Kingdom:
- Plantae
- Order:
- Ranunculales
- Family:
- Ranunculaceae
- Records on NatureSpot:
- 74
- First record:
- 06/05/2015 (Cunningham, Sally)
- Last record:
- 31/08/2024 (Nicholls, David)
Total records by month
% of records within its species group
10km squares with records
The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.
In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.
Latest images
Latest records
Graham Calow
Burbage Common Road, Elmesthorpe
27 May 2016
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
15 May 2015
regenerating
David Gould
Wolsey Island, Leicester
15 May 2015
David Gould
Wolsey Island, Leicester
20 May 2015
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
24 May 2015
Lostash
Whetstone GCR Footpath
24 May 2015
Paul Ruddoch
Melton Country Park
26 May 2015
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
11 June 2015
Graham Calow
Higham on the Hill
15 May 2015
Graham Calow
Witherley
27 May 2015
regenerating
Paul Ruddoch
Melton Country Park
26 May 2015
Graham Calow
Smithy Lane, Aston Firs near Sapcote
26 May 2016
Graham Calow
Smithy Lane, Aston Firs near Sapcote
26 May 2016
Graham Calow
Battram
24 May 2016
Graham Calow
Battram
24 May 2016
Graham Calow
Battram
24 May 2016
Graham Calow
Brooklands Road, Cosby
12 April 2016
Graham Calow
Burbage Common Road, Elmesthorpe
21 April 2016
Columbine Leaf Miner
Phytomyza aquilegiae is a fly whose larvae mine the leaves of Columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) and some related species. The mine is a large blotch on the upper surface of the leaf, sometimes occupied by several larvae. Frass is scattered throughout the mine. The mine is often purple-brown and without a preceding corridor. Leaves can sometimes be largely destroyed by the size of the mine.
Phytomyza minuscula
This small grey/black fly has larvae which mine the leaves of several plants, but especially Aquilegias, forming a white, linear corridor which may then form a secondary blotch. There are often several mines per leaf.
Phytomyza krygeri
The larva of Phytomyza krygeri feeds in the seed capsules of Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine). Pupation occurs in the seed head, with one puparium occurring in each seed capsule. The affected seed capsules discolour and become brown. The larva is bright yellow and during development may leave one seed capsule and enter another, seen by congruent holes in adjacent seed capsules. The puparium is deep brown with all segments having a row of stout spinules, which are most prominent in the anal region.