Aquilegia formosa, Western Columbine flower
Aquilegia formosa, Western Columbine flowers
Aquilegia formosa, Western Columbine, growing along a mountain stream with Lupinus polyphyllus.
Aquilegia formosa, Western Columbine, growing with willows along a mountain stream, at 7,500 feet elevation.
Aquilegia formosa, Westen Columbine, with Potentilla glandulosa
Aquilegia formosa var. pauciflora, or Aquilegia formosa var. truncata, it's still Western Columbine.
Description
Western Columbine, is similar to Aquilegia eximia but with a wider range, smaller flowers and more delicate- looking foliage. We've seen this species in the Sierra Nevada and in our own coastal mountains. Many times this species grows in the creeks with water surrounding it or on a north slope in rocky seeps. Columbine is easy to grow; just water and prune flower stalks to the ground once a year in early spring. The columbines attract hummingbirds, and are deer proof in many areas of California.