Hortus Botanicus Leiden, Netherlands

Common name: Akelei, Wilde akelei, Columbine

Family: Ranunculaceae subfam. Thalictroideae (Buttercup family)

Distribution: W, M and S Europe, naturalized in N-America

Life form: Perennial

Comments: Medieval Plants Tour - The Latin names for this wonderful little flower are aquilegia or colombina herba; both names refer to the plant’s appearance. Aquilegia comes from aquila, eagle, because the flowers look like the claws of an eagle. Colombina herba means ‘dove-like herb’, referring to the individual flowers that resemble small doves, and the dove is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The seven petals, that were thought to emerge from the bud, stood for the seven gifts granted by the Holy Spirit. Aquilegia had potent healing properties: it was supposed to heal swellings in the throat, “providing the herb has been harvested correctly.”