Aquilegia caerulea
Aquilegia caerulea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ranunculales
Family:	Ranunculaceae
Genus:	Aquilegia
Species:	A. caerulea
Binomial name
Aquilegia caerulea James

Aquilegia caerulea is a species of Aquilegia flower native to the Rocky Mountains from Montana south to New Mexico and west to Idaho and Arizona. Its common name is Colorado Blue Columbine; sometimes it is called "Rocky Mountain Columbine", but this properly refers to Aquilegia saximontana.

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 20–60 cm tall. The flowers are very variable in color, from pale blue (as in the species name caerulea) to white, pale yellow and pinkish; very commonly the flowers are bicolored, with the sepals a different shade to the petals.

Aquilegia caerulea is the state flower of Colorado. It is also a popular ornamental plant in gardens, with numerous cultivars selected for different flower colors.

There are five varieties:

• Aquilegia caerulea var. alpina
• Aquilegia caerulea var. caerulea
• Aquilegia caerulea var. daileyae
• Aquilegia caerulea var. ochroleuca
• Aquilegia caerulea var. pinetorum

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Aquilegia caerulea

• USDA Plant Profile: Aquilegia caerulea
• Colorado state flower

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