Colorado BlueColumbine

Front Range, Colorado July 2011 Aquilegia caerulea Also Called: Rocky mountain columbine. Flowering Period: June, July, August Family: Buttercup ( Ranunculaceae ) Height: 24" - 36" Life Span: perennial Leaves: Compound, biternate, glabrous leaves with lobed and deeply-cleft leaflets. Flowers: 5 sepals (generally pale-sky blue), 5 petals (generally whitish) with backwardextending, straight and slender spurs to 2 in. Typically upward-facing flowers, 2 to 3 inches across. Habitat: Partly shady, moist, well-drained, sandy-loamy, organic rich soil in moderate to montane elevations. Distribution: Colorado county distribution map can be found here. Origin: Native to Rocky Mountains