Aquilegia brevistyla aka Smallflower Columbine

Aquilegia brevistyla also goes by the name smallflower columbine. It belongs to Ranunculaceae, the buttercup family. This plant lives for years and comes from northern North America. Its range spans subarctic lands. It also grows in the northwestern and north-central United States. Records place it in Alaska, Canada, Montana, Wyoming, and South Dakota. It grows in open woods, meadows, and shore sites. It also grows on rocky outcrops. These sites reach heights of 2,625–11,483 feet [800–3,500 metres]. It is not native to Britain or Ireland.

The plant forms upright clumps and sheds its leaves each year. Its mid-green leaves split into parts. The RHS describes plants 0.7–2.6 feet [0.2–0.8 metres] tall. Its garden height range reaches 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre]. The listed spread also reaches 1.6–3.3 feet [0.5–1 metre]. Plants take two to five years to reach full size. Thin stems hold small blooms that face down. These may be lavender-purple, blue, white, or pale yellow. Blooms last from May through July, sometimes into August.

Grow it in rich soil that stays moist but drains well. It accepts full sun or part shade. Chalk, clay, loam, and sand all suit it. It copes with acid, neutral, and alkaline soils. The RHS gives it an H7 rating for cold. This covers winter cold below −4°F [−20°C] under European conditions. Sites with shelter or open to the weather can suit it. It can grow at a wood's edge or in dappled shade.

Use it in informal beds, rock gardens, and wildlife gardens. It can grow beneath roses and shrubs. It can also supply cut flowers. Grow new plants from seed or split established clumps. It also sets seed with ease where it grows. It needs no routine pruning. Cut it back after bloom to help renew its leaves. Keep it well watered while those leaves grow back. Aphids, aquilegia sawfly, and leaf miners may attack it. It may get powdery mildew or aquilegia downy mildew. Fungal leaf spot may occur too.

Plants For A Future lists the raw flowers as edible. It notes their sweet taste and use in salads. The source also urges care about safety. It lists no records of toxic effects for this species. Yet some related plants in its family are mildly toxic. This does not mean that every part is safe. The same source notes uses as medicine. It also records seed treatments for lice. These reports do not show safe doses or prove the treatments work.