Aquilegia

The plant officially known as Aquilegia is also commonly known by the names columbine and granny's bonnet. It is a perennial plant genus that is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is mainly found in the northern hemisphere at high altitudes as well as meadows and woodland areas. Within the genus there are about 60 to 70 different official species of Aquilegia. All species of Aquilegia are famous particularly for their flowers because of their spurred petals. The name Aquilegia is actually taken from the Latin word that translates into eagle, because of the flower petals shape, as they resemble the claw on an eagle. Interestingly, the other name for these flowers, Columbine, is the Latin word that translates as dove in English because the inverted flower looks a lot like a cluster of fiver doves. Columbines are actually related closely to banberries(Actea) and monkshoods/wolfsbane(Aconitum) and all three plants produce cardiogenic toxins. You can buy wholesale flower bulbs of six different varieties of Aquilegia from Astra Fund. These are the Aquilegia Blue Barlow, Aquilegia Blue Lady, Aquilegia Marilene (that blooms with yellow flowers), Aquilegia Noortje (that blooms with yellow flowers), Aquilegia Nora Barlow (that blooms with pink flowers) and Aquilegia Wendy (that blooms with creamy coloured flowers).