The genus name is from the Latin word for eagle; the spurs suggest an eagle’s claws. The name columbine is also from the Latin and means “dove” for some people the spurs look like dove heads in a circle. The entire plant was used by ancient herbalists to treat a variety of ailments. The juice of the fresh plant was used to cure jaundice or abdominal pain or to reduce swelling of the liver. In the late 15th century the plant was supposedly a cure of measles and smallpox.

Columbine contains prussic acid and may have a narcotic effect on some people. Because the columbine is a symbol of cuckoldry and a deserted lover, it was an insult to give it to a woman and bad luck to give it to a man. The language of the red flower is anxiety and trembling and that of the blue is resolved to win.

Late June/ Early July