Columbine (flower)

Columbine (flower), common name for certain perennial herbs with lacy, lobed leaves and delicate flowers. Remarkably, both sepals and petals are colored, and the petals extend to form a spur. The 40 known species are widely distributed in the North Temperate Zone and show a prismatic range of color. Both North American and Eurasian species, as well as a number of hybrids, are grown in gardens. Among the common species are the wild columbine, with scarlet to pink flowers, native from Nova Scotia to Texas, and the Colorado, or Rocky Mountain, columbine, with blue flowers.

Scientific classification: Columbines belong to the family Ranunculaceae. Wild columbine is classified as Aquilegia canadensis. Colorado, or Rocky Mountain, columbine is classified as Aquilegia caerulea.