Dwarf Columbine 'Little Lanterns'
Aquilegia canadensis 'Little Lanterns'
Wild columbine at half the size: red-and-yellow blooms on a plant 8 to 12 inches tall, right for containers, rock gardens, and border fronts.
Typically 1 pint–1 gal · $9–$30 · final price at pickup
- Thu, Aug 138 AM – 4 PM
- Fri, Aug 148 AM – 4 PM
- Sat, Aug 158 AM – 2 PM
The compact columbine for small spaces and containers. same hummingbird value as the species in a perfectly scaled-down form.
'Little Lanterns' is a dwarf selection of Wild Columbine that produces the same charming red-and-yellow nodding flowers as the species but on a plant that tops out at 8 to 12 inches, about half the size of the standard form. This makes it better suited to container gardens, rock gardens, the very front of a border, or any situation where the full-sized columbine would simply be too large. The flowers appear in April and May, attracting the same ruby-throated hummingbirds right on schedule. The compact size doesn't diminish the flower quality at all: each bloom is just as well-formed and just as vivid as the standard species. It self-sows modestly, producing offspring that are reliably dwarf and red-and-yellow. For smaller garden spaces, this is the columbine to choose.
A nursery-grown plant, ready for the ground.
Healthy, container-grown dwarf columbine 'little lanterns' propagated on-site at Hill House from regional genetics. Includes a one-page care card. We make every effort to supply plants as listed; occasionally we substitute a similar species of equal value.
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- Average
- Mature size
- 8"–1' · 8–12 in wide
- Bloom time
- Early spring
- Bloom color
- Yellow, Red
- USDA zones
- 3–9
- Family
- Ranunculaceae
- Native range
- Species native to eastern North America; 'Little Lanterns' is a compact dwarf cultivar
Care notes for dwarf columbine 'little lanterns'.
Plant in full sun to part shade in average to dry, well-drained soil. Excellent for containers. pair with spring bulbs in a container for an early-season combination. Deadhead if you want to reduce self-seeding. Allow to seed out for naturalization. Individual plants are short-lived but colonies self-renew. Keep moist in containers; in the ground it's quite drought-tolerant.
Pairs well with these.
Same light, same soil, same wildlife. Janet's picks to plant alongside dwarf columbine 'little lanterns'.
Or skip the guesswork.
Curated packages bundle complementary species for an instant habitat. One reservation, one pickup day, a printed layout map.
Short on Space Package
For gardeners who have an abundance of passion but are short on space, this package features tidy, upright, clump-forming natives that behave and function well in small spaces.
Shade Bed Package
Ferns, sedges, and woodland natives that thrive under existing trees.
Birder’s Paradise Package
For the avid bird watchers and budding ornithologists in our community, the Birder’s Paradise Package consists of species that Hill House Nursery staff and longtime native plant advocates such as Doug Tallamy consider ‘premier bird garden plants’.