Golden Columbine

Colorado populations supposedly having spurs only 35-40 mm have been called Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii . Material seen from this area falls within the normal range of variation of the species. Populations intermediate between A . chrysantha and A . coerulea var. pinetorum occur in northern Arizona (M. Butterwick et al. 1991).

Stems 30-120 cm. Basal leaves 2-3×-ternately compound, 9-45 cm, much shorter than stems; leaflets green adaxially, to 11-55 mm, not viscid; primary petiolules 20-50 mm (leaflets not crowded), glabrous or distally pilose. Flowers erect; sepals perpendicular to floral axis, yellow, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, 20-36 × 5-10 mm, apex narrowly acute or acuminate; petals: spurs yellow, straight, ± parallel or divergent, 42-65 mm, slender, evenly tapered from base, blades yellow, oblong, 13-23 × 6-15 mm; stamens 12-25 mm. Follicles 18-30 mm; beak 10-18 mm.

Ariz., Colo., N.Mex., Tex., Utah; nw Mexico.

Flowering spring-summer (Apr-Sep).

Damp places in canyons; 1000-3500m.

Aquilegia chrysantha var. rydbergii Munz

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Aquilegia chrysantha, the golden columbine, is a perennial herbaceous plant native to the southwestern United States from extreme southern Utah to Texas and northwestern Mexico.

The ferny leaves have three leaflets with three lobes and grow from the base and off the flowering stems. The flowers, which appear in May and early June, grow on a long stem above the leaves and have five pointed yellow sepals and five yellow petals with long spurs projecting backwards between the sepals. At the center of the flower are many yellow stamens.

The cultivar ‘Yellow Queen’ has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.