Columbine

[Douglas Sherman]

Most of the images at the Ridges Sanctuary are close-ups of spectacular plants. So landscape images are somewhat rare. Columbines are especially difficult to photograph because the flowers hang like ornaments on very thin stems. Any hint of wind makes them bob and sway. I was really excited to get this plant early one morning. It had by far, the greatest number of blooms of any columbine I have ever seen.

 

[JimFox]

Very nice Doug! That is a lot of blooms, and yeah they can be very difficult to shoot since they dangle like that.

How many different colors do Columbines come in? The ones in Colorado are purple.

 

[AlanLichty]

That is a lot of blooms at once and nice to get them without a breeze. The more there are on one plant the more likely it will move.

 

[Ben Egbert]

great shot, beautiful specimen.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

Very nice Doug! That is a lot of blooms, and yeah they can be very difficult to shoot since they dangle like that.

How many different colors do Columbines come in? The ones in Colorado are purple.

In the wild, columbines can be all yellow (southwest), purple and white (west of the 100th meridian, and orange and yellow (east of the 100th meridian).

Here are examples of all three:

East of the 100th meridian:

West of the 100th meridian:

Southwest:

 

[AlanLichty]

Nice examples of the varieties - I have seen the purple here in the NW and the solid yellows of the SW in the wild. My wife has grown some domesticated specimens that differ from these.

 

[Alisa]

Most of the images at the Ridges Sanctuary are close-ups of spectacular plants. So landscape images are somewhat rare. Columbines are especially difficult to photograph because the flowers hang like ornaments on very thin stems. Any hint of wind makes them bob and sway. I was really excited to get this plant early one morning. It had by far, the greatest number of blooms of any columbine I have ever seen.

View attachment 9509

OH I love this! Like the color of the Columbines!

 

[Douglas Sherman]

That is a lot of blooms at once and nice to get them without a breeze. The more there are on one plant the more likely it will move.

I was very fortunate to have a perfectly calm morning.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

great shot, beautiful specimen.

Thanks for the kind words, Ben.

 

[Douglas Sherman]

OH I love this! Like the color of the Columbines!

Thank you, Alisa. I love them too and so do the hummingbirds.

 

[Alisa]

In the wild, columbines can be all yellow (southwest), purple and white (west of the 100th meridian, and orange and yellow (east of the 100th meridian).

Here are examples of all three:

East of the 100th meridian:

View attachment 9510



West of the 100th meridian:

View attachment 9511

Southwest:

View attachment 9516

I missed these wow these are all great too!

 

[lionking]

Gorgeous captures Douglas.