Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) is one of my absolute favorite wildflowers. Reaching upwards of two feet tall, they can be found statewide, outside of the bootheel. According to Missouri Wildflowers they bloom from April through July, but I don’t remember seeing them that late in the summer. They like limestone bluffs and steep, moist, rocky hillsides – this one was clinging to the bluff behind Alley Spring.
