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Ranunculaceae FAMILY

Aquilegia flavescens

Aquilegia flavescens

Edibility
2/5
Medicinal
2/5

Safety & Hazards

Although no records of toxicity have been seen for this species, it belongs to a family that contains a number of mildly toxic species. It is therefore wise to exercise some caution. The flowers are probably perfectly safe to eat.

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Succeeds in ordinary garden soil, preferring a moist but not wet soil and a sunny position[1]. Intolerant of heavy clay[2]. A very ornamental plant[1], it is closely related to Aquilegia formosa and hybridizes with it where their ranges overlap[2, 3]. Most species are short-lived, dying out after 2 - 3 years, though they usually produce seed prolifically[2]. However, they are very apt to hybridize with other members of the genus and so it becomes difficult to keep a species true to type if more than one is grown in the garden[2]. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[4]. A greedy plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants, especially legumes[5].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame. The seed can be slow to germinate[2]. Stored seed can be sown in late winter in a cold frame. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter. Plant out in late spring or early summer. Division in spring[2]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Aquilegia+flavescens>

Pollinators

Bees

References

  1. [1]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  2. [2]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
  3. [3]Flora of N. America — http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ ↩︎An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses.
  4. [4]Perennial Garden Plants — Thomas. G. S. · J. M. Dent & Sons, London. · 1990 · ISBN 0 460 86048 8 ↩︎A concise guide to a wide range of perennials. Lots of cultivation guides, very little on plant uses.
  5. [5]How to Enjoy your Weeds. — Hatfield. A. W. · Frederick Muller Ltd · 1977 · ISBN 0-584-10141-4 ↩︎Interesting reading.
  6. [6]Discovering Wild Plants - Alaska, W. Canada and the Northwest. — Schofield. J. J. · Alaska Northwest Books; Alaska · 2003 · ISBN 0882403699 ↩︎A nice guide to some useful plants in that area.
  7. [PFAF]Plants for a Future — pfaf.org ↩︎