IDENTITY RECORD

Common columbine

SCIENTIFIC NAME

Aquilegia vulgaris

Description

A perennial plant measuring between 30 and 100 cm tall, I have distinctive complex violet-blue bell-shaped flowers with hooked spurs.

Where and when can you find me in the reserve?

• I grow in the undergrowth, at the forest border, and in shady meadows.  I prefer hot, dry habitats where there is plenty of shade. My violet flowers grow between May and June.

What other species might you mistake me for?

• A popular ornamental plant for gardens, it can escape into the wild. Its flowers come in a variety of colors.

Conservation status

• Red list of vascular plants in metropolitan France: Least Concern (LC);
• Red list of endangered vascular plants in Alsace: Least Concern (LC).

Remember that picking flowers and plants is prohibited in nature reserves.