The flowers, in various shades of purple, blue, pink and white, are pendent or horizontal with strongly hooked spurs, and appear in early summer.

[3] The species is native to Albania, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Corse, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northwest European Russia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Yugoslavia.

The white flowering cultivar 'Nivea' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

In traditional herbalism columbine was considered sacred to Venus; carrying a posy of it was said to arouse the affections of a loved one.

[5] Like many other members of the Ranunculaceae, all parts of the plant contain toxic alkaloids and are poisonous raw, although the flowers are edible in small quantities.