Bloomipedia
Yellow columbine (Aquilegia flavescens)
Photo: Erik Schiff via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Yellow columbine

Aquilegia flavescens

Native to Montana

Yellow columbine is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Montana it's most often seen in bloom in June–August.

8states
1,215MT sightings*
2,053U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: Montana

Quick look

Aquilegia flavescens, the yellow columbine, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to the Rocky Mountains of the United States and Canada.

  • 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 8 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Montana. NatureServe
  • In Montana, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in June–August. iNaturalist
  • iNaturalist has 1,215 research-grade sightings of it in Montana, ranking #21 among the 109 flowers on our Montana list. iNaturalist

Yellow columbine gift ideas

Handmade yellow 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.

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine art print

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine greeting card

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine mug

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine earrings

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine embroidery pattern

    Gift pick coming soon

  • Placeholder

    Yellow columbine sticker

    Gift pick coming soon

When does it bloom?

In Montana, most flowering sightings come in June–August.

Flowering records by month in Montana (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (286 records)

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
Montana
No list Montana has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Montana ranks instead. NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Montana.
Rare elsewhere
No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.

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 yellow columbine in 8 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming.

Montana counties with USDA records: Beaverhead, Carbon, Flathead, Gallatin, Glacier, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lewis and Clark, Madison, Missoula, Park, Powell, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton.

More Montana flowers

Red baneberry (Actaea rubra)

Red baneberry

Actaea rubra

Native

🌼 Blooms in MT: May–July
Prairie pasqueflower (Pulsatilla nuttalliana)

Prairie pasqueflower

Pulsatilla nuttalliana

★ SD state floral emblemNative

🌼 Blooms in MT: April–June
White pasqueflower (Pulsatilla occidentalis)

White pasqueflower

Pulsatilla occidentalis

Native

🌼 Blooms in MT: June–July

Sources