Aquilegia caerulea

With its blue and white blooms reaching up to 3″ across, Colorado Columbine has the largest flowers of all the Columbines. The state flower of Colorado, it is found in moist open spots from the foothills to alpine regions of the Rocky Mountains from Idaho and Montana to New Mexico. To perform best in our area it needs a well drained soil and shade from the afternoon sun. The word Columbine is derived from the Latin word ‘Columba’, meaning a dove, and refers to the shape of the flowers, said to resemble five doves drinking from a dish. A good hummingbird plant, this perennial is sometimes called Rocky Mountain Columbine.