Rocky Mountain Columbine
Aquilegia caerules

Colorado State Flower History:

Aquilegia Caerules, the white and lavender Columbine, was adopted as the official state flower of Colorado on April 4, 1899 by the Colorado General Assembly. In 1925, the General Assembly made it the duty of all Colorado citizens to protect the rare species from needless destruction or waste. To protect the precious Colorado state flower to a greater extent, laws prohibit digging or uprooting the Columbine on public lands and limit the gathering of blossoms, buds, and stems to 25 per day. It terms of private land, it is unlawful to pick the columbine without permission from the owner.

Sources for information on the Colorado State Flower:
Senate Bill 261, 1899, Bill, 1925; Colorado Revised Statutes 24-80-905 through 24-80-908.