Aquilegia vulgaris
Columbine
Explore the size, hardiness, soil, light, edible uses and harvest period of Aquilegia vulgaris.
Plant photos
2 photos · Select to enlarge
Double flowers of a cultivated Aquilegia vulgaris.
W. Bulach / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo details
Resized and converted to WebP. No content edits.
Source: File:00 3982 Gewöhnliche Akelei (Aquilegia vulgaris).jpg
Reviewed . Source identification, photograph and license reviewed. The image illustrates the named plant; it does not verify dimensions or other plant traits.
Dry fruit and seeds of Aquilegia vulgaris.
Roger Culos / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo details
Resized and converted to WebP. No content edits.
Source: File:Aquilegia vulgaris MHNT.BOT.2009.13.42.jpg
Reviewed . Source identification, photograph and license reviewed. The image illustrates the named plant; it does not verify dimensions or other plant traits.
Common names
39 names · 31 languagesOther languages (30)
- Dutch
-
- Gewone akelei
- Wilde akelei[1]
- French
-
- Ancolie commune[1]
- Basque
-
- Kuku-belarra[1]
- Belarusian
-
- Ворлікі звычайныя[1]
- Catalan
-
- Corniol[1]
- Chinese (Simplified)
-
- 欧耧斗菜[1]
- Chinese (Traditional)
-
- 歐耬斗菜[1]
- Czech
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- orlíček obecný[1]
- Danish
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- Almindelig akeleje[1]
- Estonian
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- harilik kurekell[1]
- Finnish
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- lehtoakileija[1]
- Galician
-
- Bonetes[1]
- Hungarian
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- Közönséges harangláb[1]
- Irish
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- Colaimbín[1]
- Italian
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- Aquilegia comune[1]
- Latvian
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- Parastā ozolīte[1]
- Lithuanian
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- Paprastasis sinavadas[1]
- Norwegian
-
- akeleie[1]
- Polish
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- Orlik pospolity[1]
- Portuguese
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- Aquilégia[1]
- Slovak
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- orlíček obyčajný[1]
- Slovenian
-
- Navadna orlica[1]
- Spanish
-
- Aguileña[1]
- Turkish
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- Haseki Küpesi[1]
- Ukrainian
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- Орлики звичайні[1]
- Welsh
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- Troed y golomen[1]
Sources & name notes (1)
Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.
Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.
Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.
Source records
- common columbine — results[1].names[1]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Columbine — results[1].names[3]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- lehtoakileija — results[1].names[4]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Gemeine Akelei — results[1].names[5]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Gewöhnliche Akelei — results[1].names[6]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Wald-Akelei — results[1].names[7]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Водосбор обыкновенный — results[1].names[8]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Орлик — results[1].names[9]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- European columbine — results[1].names[10]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Corniol — results[1].names[11]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Ancolie commune — results[1].names[12]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Aquilegia comune — results[1].names[13]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Troed y golomen — results[1].names[14]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- orlíček obecný — results[1].names[15]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- akeleie — results[1].names[16]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Almindelig akeleje — results[1].names[17]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Wilde akelei — results[1].names[18]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- harilik kurekell — results[1].names[19]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Akleja — results[1].names[20]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Közönséges harangláb — results[1].names[21]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Paprastasis sinavadas — results[1].names[22]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Aquilégia — results[1].names[23]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- セイヨウオダマキ — results[1].names[24]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- アメリカオダマキ — results[1].names[25]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Orlik pospolity — results[1].names[26]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- akvileja — results[1].names[27]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- 欧耧斗菜 — results[1].names[28]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- 歐耬斗菜 — results[1].names[29]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Ворлікі звычайныя — results[1].names[30]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Bonetes — results[1].names[31]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Орлики звичайні — results[1].names[32]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Parastā ozolīte — results[1].names[33]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Navadna orlica — results[1].names[34]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Colaimbín — results[1].names[35]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- orlíček obyčajný — results[1].names[36]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Aguileña — results[1].names[37]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Kuku-belarra — results[1].names[38]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
- Haseki Küpesi — results[1].names[39]; taxon id 51807; Aquilegia vulgaris.
General information
Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.
Sources [1]Kew's family placement for the genus Aquilegia (WCVP v16).
Sources [1]Plant characteristics
Growing conditions
Moist
Sand (light) Loam (medium)
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Partial shade, Full sun
Uses
Flowers, Tea
Parasiticide, Fragrant
Description
Flowers can be eaten raw, as they are rich in nectar and pleasantly sweet. They are a tasty addition to salads and can also be enjoyed as a refreshing snack. Moreover, these flowers can serve as an alternative to tea.
Harvest
Sources and references
References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.
-
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
Relevant sections
- Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 727888; name ID 2644578; Aquilegia L.. Family column.
- Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 3113; name ID 2645045; Aquilegia vulgaris L..
Source checked on .
Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.