Flora and fauna – eagles or doves ?

Eagles or Doves? Aquilegia is a really common and splendid sight at the moment on roadside verges.

Originally a wild flower, there are also many cultivated varieties in gardens and many of these have escaped back into the wild leading to a confusing picture!

Original wild varieties are deep blue but can also be pink or white. The name possibly derives from the Latin for eagle with the petals supposedly resembling an eagle’s claws…but I prefer the other name for these flowers – columbine from the latin for dove. The petals really do like a group of doves especially in the white variety.

Finally they are also called Granny’s bonnet- again not too difficult to see why.

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