Colorado State Flower
Columbines are perhaps the most graceful and ornamental of all wildflowers. Members of the Buttercup family, this perenial's five petals stretch back to form spurs where nectar collects. The flowers bloom in late spring and early summer, nodding from the tops of their stems with spurs pointing upward. The genus name is 'Aquilegia Caerules' is from the Latin word for "eagle claw."
The words Columbine is taken from the Latin word columbus meaning "dove like," as the spurs often resemble a circle of dove's heads.
The words Columbine is taken from the Latin word columbus meaning "dove like," as the spurs often resemble a circle of dove's heads.
Neat Imagery!
Photography by Christine McClintock Hudspeth
Colorado's State flower, the white and lavender columbine (Aquilegia caerules) is commonly known as the Rocky Mountain Columbine. Its journey to become the Colorado state flower began near the end of the 19th century in 1891 when Colorado school children voted the Rocky Mountain columbine their favorite flower, overwhelmingly, over the second-place cactus. Of the 22,316 votes cast, 14,472 went to the Rocky Mountain Columbine.Nine years later, in 1899, a Colorado women's club, in Cripple Creek, discovered that the Rocky Mountain columbine had never been officially adopted as the state flower. They went right to work.
Senate Bill 261, declaring the white and lavender columbine the state flower, was approved by the Colorado Legislature on April 4, 1899
Don't be confused by names.
The act names the white and lavender columbine as the state flower without reference to a scientific name. In later legislation declaring it the duty of the citizens of the state to protect the state flower, the white and lavender columbine is referred to as Aquilegia caerulea. In fact, Aquilegia caerulea is more commonly called Colorado blue columbine or simply Colorado columbine rather than white and lavender columbine.
Protective of their beautiful Rocky Mountain columbine, in 1925 the Twenty-fifth Session of the Colorado General Assembly approved a bill that made it the responsibility of all Coloradans to protect the state flower, established rules about picking and digging the flower and defined penalties for violations of the law.
The act names the white and lavender columbine as the state flower without reference to a scientific name. In later legislation declaring it the duty of the citizens of the state to protect the state flower, the white and lavender columbine is referred to as Aquilegia caerulea. In fact, Aquilegia caerulea is more commonly called Colorado blue columbine or simply Colorado columbine rather than white and lavender columbine.
Protective of their beautiful Rocky Mountain columbine, in 1925 the Twenty-fifth Session of the Colorado General Assembly approved a bill that made it the responsibility of all Coloradans to protect the state flower, established rules about picking and digging the flower and defined penalties for violations of the law.
2 comments:
Lovely photos, Christine!
Thank-you so very much. I sure have been thinking about you.
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