Barneby's Columbine, also known as Oil Shale Columbine, (Aquilegia barneby) is a unique native wildflower of the Colorado Plateau perfect for Utah gardens. Soft blue-green foliage forms a tidy mound, sending up nodding flowers in late spring that combine creamy yellow petals with warm red or pink spurs. This eye-catching color pairing is not only very attractive to gardeners, but hummingbirds and pollinators as well. Oil Shale Columbine tolerates full sun and drier conditions better than some native Columbines, but truly thrives in well-drained soils and light shade. Oil Shale Columbine is a wonderful choice for part-shade gardens, rock gardens, traditional garden beds and borders, and naturalistic plantings.
Photo Credit: Krzysztof Ziarnek