About Aquilegia flavescens S.Watson
Aquilegia flavescens S.Watson reaches a height of 20–70 cm (8–28 in). Its leaves are either smooth or downy, and its stems are covered in glandular hairs. The flowers are nodding; the sepals, which curve backward, are usually yellow, but can sometimes be yellowish-pink or raspberry pink, and measure 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) long. The petals are white or cream, 7–10 mm long, with stamens that extend out past the petals. The nectar spurs range in color from yellow to raspberry pink, are slightly curved, and are 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in) long. This species is native to mountain meadows, open woods, and alpine slopes in the Rocky Mountains, where it occurs across eastern Utah, Idaho, eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, western Montana, northeastern Wyoming, and southern British Columbia and Alberta. It grows at altitudes between 1,300–3,500 m (4,300–11,500 ft). Aquilegia flavescens is pollinated by hummingbirds, and is visited by bumblebees including the common carder bee and the golden-belted bumblebee. It flowers from June to August, and sometimes forms interbreeding hybrid populations with Aquilegia formosa var. formosa, which grows at lower elevations across most of A. flavescens' range.
