The Rocky Mountain columbine is the official state flower of Colorado — a delicate blue-and-white wildflower of the high country.

• Official flower: Rocky Mountain columbine
• Scientific name: Aquilegia caerulea
• Year adopted: 1899
• Native range: the Rocky Mountains

About the rocky mountain columbine

Colorado schoolchildren championed the columbine, and it was adopted as the state flower in 1899. Its distinctive blooms pair blue-violet spurred sepals with a white center and golden stamens. The flower is protected by state law, which makes it illegal to uproot the plant on public land and limits how many blooms may be gathered.

Where it grows

The Rocky Mountain columbine grows in mountain meadows, aspen groves, and rocky slopes at higher elevations, blooming in early to mid-summer.

Colorado state flower FAQs

What is the state flower of Colorado?

Colorado’s state flower is the rocky mountain columbine (Aquilegia caerulea), which it adopted in 1899.

When did Colorado adopt its state flower?

Colorado designated the rocky mountain columbine as its official state flower in 1899.

Can you pick Colorado columbines?

Colorado law protects the Rocky Mountain columbine. It is illegal to uproot the plant on public land, and the number of flowers you may pick is limited.

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