yellow columbine

Aquilegia flavescens grows to 20–70 cm (8–28 in) in height. The leaves are smooth or downy, and the stems are glandular pubescent. The flowers are nodding and the sepals usually yellow, but sometimes yellowish-pink or raspberry pink, reflexed, and 12–20 mm (0.5–0.8 in) in length. The petals are white or cream and 7–10 mm long, with the stamens extending beyond them. The nectar spurs are yellow to raspberry pink, slightly curved, and measure 10–20 mm (0.4–0.8 in).

The species is native to mountain meadows, open woods, and alpine slopes of the Rocky Mountains of eastern Utah, Idaho, eastern Washington, northeastern Oregon, western Montana, northeastern Wyoming, and southern British Columbia and Alberta. It grows at altitudes of 1,300–3,500 m (4,300–11,500 ft).

Aquilegia flavescens is pollinated by hummingbirds and visited by bumblebees including the common carder bee and the golden-belted bumblebee. It flowers from June to August and sometimes forms hybrid swarms with Aquilegia formosa var. formosa, which grows at lower elevations throughout much of its range.