The Columbine

Columbine Chapter, NSDAR, was named for Colorado’s state flower, the beautiful and delicate columbine.

The white and lavender Aquilegia caerules was chosen by school children as their favorite flower in 1891 and was later adopted as the official state flower on April 4, 1899, by an act of the General Assembly thanks to a Colorado women’s club from Cripple Creek. In 1925, the General Assembly made it the duty of all citizens to protect this rare species from needless destruction or waste. To further protect this fragile flower, the law prohibits digging or uprooting the flower on public lands and limits the gathering of buds, blossoms, and stems to 25 in one day. It is unlawful to pick the columbine on private land without consent of the land owner.

Citation: Senate Bill 261, 1899, Bill, 1925; Colorado State Revised Statutes 24-80-905 through 24-80-908.

One might ask “Where the Columbines Grow?”

This stunning, unmistakable, flower grows in the moist foothills and sub-alpine region of our Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Colorado’s state song, “Where the Columbines Grow,” written by A.J. Fynn was adopted as the official state song on May 8, 1915, by an act of the General Assembly.