Golden Columbine

Aquilegia chrysantha

native · Central Texas

Golden Columbine is a perennial wildflower native to Central Texas that grows 1–3 ft tall and 3 ft wide. It wants part shade to shade and medium water, and handles caliche soil. Blooms yellow in Apr–Sep. Evergreen — it holds its leaves through winter. Good for butterflies.

Wet ground only. Usually found in wetlands and creek bottoms. It wants reliably moist ground and struggles in a dry upland bed.

Will it grow in your yard?

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The facts

5 sources

Type: Perennial wildflower
Sun: Part shade to shade (2–4 hrs of direct sun)
Water: Medium
Height: 1–3 ft
Spread: 3 ft
Bloom: Apr–Sep · yellow
Foliage: Evergreen
Soil: Takes caliche · recorded on moist, rich, well drained
Wildlife: Supports butterflies

Where it grows

No Level IV record in the launch area yet. Recorded in these Texas ecoregions:

Chihuahuan Desert

2 occurrence records in Central Texas (GBIF).

Can you buy it?

Also grows here — hard to find. Native and recorded growing in Central Texas, but not on the grower stock lists we read. Sourcing varies: some are stocked widely, others you will have to hunt for.

also grows from seed It starts readily from seed, so a packet from a native-seed supplier, or seed collected with permission, is often the easiest way to get a plant no nursery pots.