Barneby's columbine
Aquilegia barnebyi
Last reviewed: August 2026
Light
part shade
Water
low
Size
8"–16" H × 8"–12" W
Bloom
May, Jun, Jul
Native to
CO, UT
Pollinators
hummingbirds, hawk moths
Before you buy
Your city may pay you to plant this
Cities and water utilities offer rebates for replacing lawn with native and water-wise plants. We track 431 programs across 44 states, each with a link to the provider and the date we last checked it.
Find rebates in your areaBarneby's columbine is a low perennial forb with delicate, blue-green divided leaves and distinctive yellow flowers with red-orange spurs. It grows on rocky shale slopes and outcrops.
Wildlife value
Host plant for Columbine Duskywing.
The long-spurred flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds and hawk moths reaching for nectar deep in the spurs, and the genus is a documented host for the Columbine Duskywing skipper.
Common questions
- How much sun does Barneby's columbine need?
- Barneby's columbine grows best in part shade conditions.
- When does Barneby's columbine bloom?
- Barneby's columbine blooms in May, June, and July.
- Where is Barneby's columbine native?
- Barneby's columbine (Aquilegia barnebyi) is native to CO, UT, per the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew).
- What butterflies or moths does Barneby's columbine host?
- Barneby's columbine is a larval host plant for Columbine Duskywing.
Native range data from the World Checklist of Vascular Plants (Kew). Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
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