Columbine -- Aquilegia canadensis
Family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup family)
This species is one of our most familiar and beautiful wildflowers, and a personal favorite
of mine. The plants are about 1-2 feet in height with small compound leaves, and are commonly
found growing in thin soil in limestone outcroppings, sometimes appearing to grow straight from
a crack in the rocks. Flowers are 1-3 inches in length with five petals bending backward to
form a hollow spur-like structure. This species is commonly associated with the limestone bluffs
near river valleys.
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Copyright 1997, 1998 Michael W. Thompson. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of law.