2026 Plant of the Year, Special Recognition

Proposed by: a member of Worcester Garden Club, Zone I
Seconded by: a member of Worcester Garden Club, Zone I

Aquilegia canadensis is valued as a mid-spring pollinator for hummingbirds and long tongued insects such as hawk moths, bumble bees and butterflies which seek the nectar secreted in vascular tubes at the ends of its petals and the pollen from its many stamens. It is a late summer food source providing seeds for finches and buntings, and also serves as a larval hostplant to the Pink-tinted beauty moth (Eosphoropteryx thyatyroides) and the Columbine Duskywing (Erynnis lucillius) skipper.

A. canadensis is an important component of native ecosystems contributing to the biodiversity and health of natural landscapes. Additionally, its impressive resilience and adaptability enable it to thrive in diverse conditions including woodlands, meadows, rocky slopes, diverse soil compositions and extreme climate conditions. As such, it can be installed in many natural or urban settings and with little to no maintenance, and help to reinvigorate desecrated soils, mitigate erosion in rocky and sloping areas, and attract and support native insects and birds.