I swear, the fact that Colorado is the second in our list is pure happenstance. I asked my 5 year old to pick a number between 1 and 50 and I referenced it to an alphabetical state list. Colorado is number 7. If you are from my own home state or spent any amount of time there, you will know my choice is rather cliché – but what can I say, I am a Colorado girl, I am from the most beautiful state (you can’t argue with me on this point) and this is one of the most beautiful native plants and the most recognized state symbol in our whole country. No wonder we are so proud.

From Wikipedia:

It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 20-60 cm tall. The flowers are very variable in color, from pale blue (as in the species name caerulea) to white, pale yellow and pinkish; very commonly the flowers are bicolored, with the sepals a different shade to the petals.
Aquilegia caerulea is the state flower of Colorado. It is also a popular ornamental plant in gardens, with numerous cultivars selected for different flower colors.

1. DSCN0275, 2. in the garden…, 3. Columbine 4, 4. Colorado Columbines (Rocky Mountain Columbine), 5. columbine, 6. cool columbine, 7. Alpine Columbine-015934, 8. Colorado Columbine, 9. Columbine flower…beautifull colors!