Aconitum columbianum subsp. columbianum

Family: Ranunculaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Columbia monkshood is a native perennial found in the Klamath Ranges, northern Coast Ranges, Cascade Range, Sierra Nevada, northern eastern Sierra Nevada, and Modoc Plateau in streambanks, moist meadows, and conifer forests at elevations of 300 to 3,500 meters. Flowering from July to September, this plant produces deep blue to purple hooded flowers with multiple blooms clustered on tall stems. Growing with erect stems 30 to 200 centimeters tall, it forms robust clumps with multiple flowering stalks. Its leaves are deeply divided with broad, lobed segments, typically palmately cut into 5 to 7 distinct parts with rounded, toothed edges. The plant contains potent alkaloids, making it toxic to both humans and animals if ingested.

Habitat: Streambanks, moist areas, meadows, conifer forest

Bloom period: Jul-Sep

Elevation: 300-3500 m

Bioregions: KR, NCoRH, CaR, SNH, MP, n SNE

California counties: Mono, Inyo, Alpine, Amador, Calaveras, Glenn, Kern, Lassen, Madera, Tehama, Butte, El Dorado, Fresno, Humboldt, Mariposa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Trinity, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tulare, Tuolumne, Modoc

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.