Blue Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea)

Family: Buttercup Family
Duration: Perennial
Sun: Shade
Soil: Moist; talus & rocky soils
Water: Medium
Colour: Blue
Bloom Time: June thru August
Planting Time:
Height: 1-3 feet
Locations: Moist woods; open, mountain meadows
Benefits: Provides nectar for long-tongued insects and hummingbirds
Seed saving: ready to collect when seeds in greenish follicles are black
Other notes: can be susceptible to aphids when grown in open areas; once established, the plant will self-seed; blue colour becomes less pronounced as you travel north or west from Colorado (until flowers are white or cream); flowers found at higher altitudes tend to be more colorful; chilling for 2 months in moist sand will accelerate germination