Flower profile

Western columbine

Aquilegia formosa

Native in the lower 48

Western columbine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 5 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in April–August.

9states

5of our state lists

28,132U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Alaska, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington

Quick look

Aquilegia formosa, the crimson columbine, western columbine, sitka columbine, or (ambiguously) "red columbine", is a common wildflower native to western North America, from Alaska to Baja California, and eastward to Montana and Wyoming.
From Wikipedia's article Aquilegia formosa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) with a perennial life cycle. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 9 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
NatureServe lists it as native to California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska and Nevada. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–August. ^iNaturalist
In Oregon, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in May–July. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as red. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as spring. ^{USDA PLANTS}
USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 3 ft. ^{USDA PLANTS}
iNaturalist has 16,394 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #42 among the 110 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 5,114 research-grade sightings of it in Oregon, ranking #19 among the 110 flowers on our Oregon list. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 3,996 research-grade sightings of it in Washington, ranking #38 among the 110 flowers on our Washington list. ^iNaturalist

Western columbine gift ideas

Handmade western columbine gifts from independent makers.

🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.

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Western columbine art print
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Western columbine embroidery pattern
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When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month across the U.S. (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (9,206 records)

Bloom time in each of our 5 states

State	Type	Peak bloom	Sightings*
California	Native	April–August	16,394
Oregon	Native	May–July	5,114
Washington	Native	May–August	3,996
Alaska	Native	June–August	1,278
Nevada	Native	June–August	822

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G5 Secure worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}
Oregon: Not listed Not on Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Oregon. ^{OAR 603-073-0070}
Washington: No list Washington has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants (the Washington Natural Heritage Program's rare plant list isn't regulatory), so we show NatureServe's Washington ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Washington.
Alaska: No list Alaska has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Alaska ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Alaska.
Nevada: Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. ^{NAC 527.010}
Rare elsewhere: Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: WY (S1). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.

For petsNot well documented

It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.

🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.

Where does it grow?

USDA PLANTS records Western columbine in 9 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

California counties with USDA records: Alameda, Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Colusa, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Humboldt, Inyo, Kern, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Marin, Mariposa, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Santa Barbara, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Solano, Sonoma, Tehama, Trinity, Tulare, Tuolumne, Yuba.

Oregon counties with USDA records: Baker, Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Coos, Crook, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Grant, Harney, Hood River, Jackson, Jefferson, Josephine, Klamath, Lake, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Sherman, Tillamook, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, Washington, Wheeler, Yamhill.

Washington counties with USDA records: Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, San Juan, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima.

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Creeping buttercup

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Introduced

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Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile AQFO.
iNaturalist, Aquilegia formosa: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Aquilegia formosa (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
Oregon: Oregon endangered and threatened plants (OAR 603-073-0070).
Oregon: Oregon noxious weed quarantine, A and B weeds (OAR 603-052-1200).
Washington: Washington State noxious weed list (WAC 16-750-005, -011, -015).
Alaska: Alaska prohibited and restricted noxious weeds (11 AAC 34.020).
Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
NatureServe Explorer, Aquilegia formosa (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
Photo: crothfels via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.