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The Rocky Mountain columbine is one of the many flowers that have found a way to paint the high mountains with color in the summer. Soon after the snow has melted, many seeds start growing quickly. They turn the rocky slopes green with new plants. The plants grow many flowers that make lots more seeds. The seeds fall to the ground or blow in the wind and will make more new plants with flowers in the future. The growing season may be short in the high country before the snow returns, but the Rocky Mountain columbine has found a way to return in large numbers each summer.
The beautiful Rocky Mountain columbine is the state flower of Colorado. The flower has some of the same colors that are on Colorado's state flag. The flower has five light blue to purple sepals on the outside that look like large petals. They have five smaller white petals on the inside and a yellow center. On the back of the flower are five long spurs. The combination of blue, white, and yellow make the Rocky Mountain columbine an especially beautiful flower. It is illegal to pick or dig up wild columbines in Colorado.
For more information, click on the following links: SW CO Plants, Denver Plants
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