Eastern red columbine, aka, wild columbine, Canada columbine, honeysuckle, meeting-houses, or rock-bells, is one of several columbines native to North America, but the only one native to New Jersey. It can be found throughout the US and Canada from the Rockies eastward.
Eastern red columbine is a perennial herb with compound leaves. It grows 6-36 inches tall. The flowers are downward facing, and all five petals have a long tubular spur that projects backward. The genus name Aquilegia is derived from the Latin aquila, which means "eagle," and refers to the spurs’ resemblance to eagle’s talons. The spurs contain the nectar. Sepals are petal-like and typically red. Petals are yellow and become redder at the tip of the spur. Plants bloom from March to July. The fruit is made up of five parallel pods containing black seeds. Although the plants are perennials, they are not exceptionally long lived. If they are planted in a favorable location, there will be seedlings, which will bloom in their second year, and eventually replace the parent plants. Columbine likes a partly sunny or shady spot that is relatively moist, rich, and not overly acidic soil. Providing a little pulverized limestone wouldn’t hurt. In addition to the wild type, there are several commercial varieties, which vary in height and flower color.
Eastern red columbine flowers are a favorite for butterflies and hummingbirds and provide an early source of nectar. There is a columbine leafminer insect that attacks the garden varieties of columbine, but it is rarely found on wild columbine. Eastern red columbine is reportedly moderately resistant to deer and rabbits. I have noticed evidence of minor browsing in the early spring, but the plants recover and bloom.
So support the butterflies and hummers, plant columbine.
References:
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=aqca
http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=b400
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquilegia_canadensis