Supposedly, the upside-down flower looks like a cluster of doves, and its petals stretch backward into tubes called spurs, which resemble an eagle’s talons.
The columbine flower is named after not one, but two birds—columbine comes from the Latin word columba, or dove-like, and its scientific name, genus Aquilegia, is related to the Latin word for eagle: aquilae. Supposedly, the upside-down flower looks like a cluster of doves, and its petals stretch backward into tubes called spurs, which resemble an eagle’s talons. But that doesn’t scare away the pollinators that frequent this slight shade- and sun-loving plant.