This superb variety is quite unlike the usual Aquilegia with dark-green foliage and eye-catching, scarlet and lemon-yellow flowers which hang like drifts of softly illuminated lanterns in May to June.
Growing just twelve to eighteen inches tall, before they go to seed, the hanging lanterns begin to bend upward, more fully revealing their stamens.

Excellent as a rock garden naturaliser, it likes a bit more sun than is usual for Aquilegia, but will accept partial shade; it also is quite content in average garden conditions. Its slightly fragrant unique flowers and soft lacy foliage make it a good ornamental choice
Highly attractive to butterflies, bumblebees and hummingbirds, bees often pierce the "spurs" at the end of the petals to steal the nectar - look for holes in the spurs.

Aquilegia canadensis is native to Canada and the US in all states east of the Rockies.
Thomas Mann Randolph, Jefferson's son-in-law, observed this perennial wildflower blooming on April 30, 1791, at Monticello. John Tradescant, an English plant explorer of the seventeenth century, introduced this species into European gardens.

Quote from an American Gardening Website:
“Red columbine is found in dry to mesic or even low woods, especially along borders or clearings of oak-hickory, oak-maple and maple-basswood forests, black-oak savannas, cedar glades, pine woods, and mixed conifer hardwood forests. It can also be found on wooded to open rocky hillsides, bluffs, calcareous cliffs, outcrops, ledges, banks, beach ridges, gravelly shorelines, roadsides, quarries, and peat bogs”
Perhaps it will grow well here in Ireland….we don’t have all the other stuff, but we do have peat bogs!

Sowing: Sow February to June or September to October.
Sow seed on the surface of lightly firmed, moist seed compost in pots or trays. Cover seed with a light sprinkling of vermiculite. Seal container inside a polythene bag and place at 15 to 20°C (59 to 68°F).

Keep at a temperature of between 15 to 20°C (59 to 68°F). After sowing, do not exclude light as this helps germination. Keep the surface of the compost moist but not waterlogged; germination can take 1 to 3 months. Overwinter September sowings in a cold frame and plant out the following spring

Growing:
When large enough to handle, transplant seedlings into 7.5cm (3in) pots or trays. Gradually acclimatise to outdoor conditions for 10 to 15 days before planting out after all risk of frost, 30cm (12in) apart. For best results, provide any ordinary, well-drained soil in full sun.

Aftercare:
Prefers moist but well drained soil. Columbines tend to cross-pollinate, hybridize, and self seed freely, creating new strains and colours. The formation of seeds will shorten the productive lifespan of the plant, so it is best to remove the spent flowers promptly. Columbines tend to lose vitality after 3-4 years and are best replaced at that time.

Plant Uses:
Cottage/Informal Garden and Flower Borders and Beds. Ideal For: Border, Rockery.

Good Companions:
Geranium (Cranesbill), most Heuchera, Cinnamon Fern (Osmunda cinnamomea), Woodland Phlox (Phlox divaricata), Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium), Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum), Foamflower (Tiarella cordifolia)