Fauna
Plant

Blue Columbine

Aquilegia caerulea

Also known as Colorado Columbine, Rocky Mountain Columbine, Colorado Blue Columbine

Blue columbines grace subalpine meadows and aspen groves with striking, two-toned blossoms featuring white inner petals and sky-blue outer sepals with long nectar spurs. Long-tongued hawkmoths and bumblebees hover beneath these nodding blooms, drinking nectar while transferring pollen across mountain slopes. As the official state flower of Colorado, these hardy perennials mark the onset of high-country summer across the Rocky Mountains.

Mountain NativeFloweringPollinator Attraction
Blue Columbine reference
Laura Gaudette https://www.inaturalist.org/people/gaudettelaura / CC BY 4.0 · cc-by
—observations
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preySunlight, Water, Soil Minerals
Predators
  • Columbine Leafminers
  • Aphids
  • Deer
ThreatsHabitat degradation, climate change altering snowpack, over-collection
HabitatsSubalpine meadows, aspen groves, coniferous forests, rocky slopes
Life span3 to 5 years
Classification
  1. FamilyRanunculaceae
  2. SpeciesAquilegia caerulea
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Contains toxic glycosides; avoid ingesting any part of the plant.
Why it is dangerous
Contains toxic glycosides and alkaloids that cause severe gastrointestinal distress and potential heart palpitations if ingested.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Recognized by its distinct two-toned blue and white flowers with five backward-pointing nectar spurs.
What to do
Do not ingest any plant parts; admire flowers in place without picking.
Responsible observation
  • Observation: Look for blooms in damp, rocky slopes and aspen clearings from June through August.
  • Photography: Frame blossoms from below to highlight the dramatic length of the nectar spurs.
  • Conservation: Refrain from picking wild blooms to allow natural seed distribution.
Related species
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