Ranunculaceae

Buttercup Family

Columbines

FAMILY: Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) – Aquilegia genus.

SPECIES: All species of the Aquilegia genus are reported to have edible flowers, but the reports are infrequent. #1 Colorado, Rocky Mountain, or blue columbine (Aquilegia coerulea E. James = Aquilegia caerulea E. James). #2 western or crimson columbine (Aquilegia formosa Fisch. ex DC.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! Columbines are known to be dangerous, even potentially fatal. All parts, except for the flowers, are highly poisonous due to cardiogenic toxins capable of causing severe gastroenteritis and heart palpitations. Columbine flowers are a controversial wild food. A few references suggest they are safe in moderation. Others indicate they are unsafe. All parts, even the flowers, should be considered suspect and consumed only in strict moderation.

Flowers of Rocky Mountain columbine (A. coerulea) taste sweet, but a perfume-like accent taints the flavor. A medicine-like accent suggesting that these flowers are best left alone is also apparent. Purely white-flowered varieties taste the same as bluish-purple varieties. Rocky Mountain columbine is beautiful in bloom. Fresh flowers make a stunning garnish or an attractive addition to salads. All the parts are tender and completely chewable. Cooked flowers taste good. Simmering dissipates the unusual accents and yields a clear yellow broth with an agreeable flavor. Rocky Mountain columbine is the state flower of Colorado. Note that laws have been established to protect this plant in Colorado, so foragers should check the current regulations before gathering in that state to avoid any awkward conversations with rangers. Rocky Mountain columbine is common and gathering a supply is easy, but only small amounts should be eaten due to the possibility of adverse effects.

NOTES: In addition to Rocky Mountain columbine described above, I sampled the flowers of several other southwestern species, including: golden columbine (A. chrysantha), desert columbine (A. desertorum), elegant columbine (A. elegantula), and crimson columbine (A. formosa). With the exception of golden columbine, none of these additional species tasted very good. Medicine-like overtones soon overran the brief moment of sweetness imparted by the nectar. Medicine-like overtones were barely perceptible in golden columbine, which in my opinion is one of the best species. In the other species, the unusual flavors suggested that consumption of columbine flowers should be limited to garnish-size portions rather than meal-size portions. Golden columbine is common in the canyons of central and southeastern Arizona, where I first saw it along the Blue River. It’s a common plant that grows in colonies, but it’s of limited value to foragers. Most of the species I sampled were red-flowered species. None of the red-flowered species were as good as the white-, yellow- or blue-flowered species. Perhaps there’s a reason for this, or perhaps it’s merely coincidence. I’m simply presenting observations that are based on a limited perspective. White- and blue-flowered species thrive in the Ashley National Forest of northeastern Utah, where I first encountered these beautiful plants.

IDENTIFICATION: Approximately 20 species of the Aquilegia genus are found in the United States, most of which are found in the western half. Columbines are beautiful plants with distinctive flowers. No other plants have similar flowers.

Description of columbines (the Aquilegia genus): FORM perennial plants about 20-110 cm tall; LEAVES compound; alternate or basal; ultimate leaflets typically lobed and round-toothed; surfaces hairless, glandular-haired, or dusty; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, showy, bearing long spurs, and typically arranged in terminal racemes; sepals 5; petals 5, white, yellow, pink, blue, or reddish-orange; pistils 5; stamens numerous; FRUITS follicles with numerous seeds and slender beaks; HABITAT canyons and mountainsides; throughout the West; blooming spring and summer.

REFERENCES: Note that references to the edibility of columbine flowers, or other parts of columbines, are scarce, which leads one to the conclusion that columbines are a questionable wild food. Fern (p. 89) states that all species in the Aquilegia genus have edible flowers and that all other parts are toxic. #1 Rocky Mountain columbine (Aquilegia coerulea): flowers Schofield (pp. 140-141). #2 crimson columbine (Aquilegia formosa): leaves and flowers Vizgirdas (p. 61).

White Marsh Marigold

FAMILY: Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) – Caltha genus.

SPECIES: White marsh marigold or elk’s lip (Caltha leptosepala DC.).

TO UTILIZE AS FOOD: Warning! Only the roots, leaves, and flowers of young plants are edible. Old plants have high concentrations of poisonous compounds including: jervine, helleborin, and protoanemonine. Young plants are low in these compounds (Couplan pp. 49-50). However, plants of any age can cause serious digestive problems, especially when eaten raw. Due to the detrimental nature of these compounds, all parts of white marsh marigold must be cooked. Cooking breaks down jervine, helleborin, and protoanemonine (Eastman p. 199 or Vizgirdas pp. 62-63).

White marsh marigold (C. leptosepala) is native to the Rocky Mountains of western North America, from Alaska southward through Canada to Arizona and New Mexico. Fresh leaves have a soft-leathery texture and taste reasonably mild. Although few people will understand this comparison, the flavor is more like monkeyflower leaves (of the Mimulus genus) than lettuce. Boiled leaves are free of bitter, acrid, and soapy qualities. The texture is easily chewable fresh or cooked. Even the leafstalks are chewable. Leaf surfaces are naturally water-repellent. As its name indicates, white marsh marigold produces white flowers and grows in marshes. Whether or not it resembles marigolds is debatable. Marsh plants should always be boiled prior to consumption due to the risk of waterborne parasites. White marsh marigold thrives in mountain meadows where snowmelt collects and mosquitoes congregate. It blooms from June to August, and is in season when it’s young.

IDENTIFICATION: Only 3 species of the Caltha genus are found in the United States, of which only 1 is found in the Southwest.

Description of white marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala): FORM small plant about 5-25 cm tall; LEAVES simple; mostly basal and a few alternate; long-stalked; blades egg-, heart- or kidney-shaped; margins smooth, toothed, or wrinkled; surfaces hairless; FLOWERS regular, perfect, ovary superior, and arranged individually or a few in clusters; sepals 5-12, white, and petal-like; petals absent; pistils 5-50; stamens 10-40, yellow; FRUITS follicles dry, several-seeded, and splitting open along one suture; HABITAT marshy areas, often where melting snow floods mountain meadows or along streams; Southwest, Great Basin, and Rocky Mountains; blooming June to August.

REFERENCES: White marsh marigold (Caltha leptosepala): roots, leaves, and flower buds Couplan (pp. 49-50); roots and leaves Vizgirdas (pp. 62-63).