Aquilegia jonesii is one of the most unique and coveted columbines of the North American flora, endemic to the Great Plains and northern Rockies, mainly from Wyoming, Montana, and the adjacent Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. Its specific epithet honors the American botanist Marcus Eugene Jones (1852-1934), a great explorer of the flora of the American West.
What immediately distinguishes Aquilegia jonesii from almost all of its congeners is its remarkable dwarfism and its absolutely stocky and condensed appearance. Where most columbines develop slender flower stems of 30 to 80 cm, this species forms tiny dense cushions barely exceeding 3 to 8 cm in height, with very finely dissected, glaucous, and leathery biternate leaves, perfectly adapted to the extreme conditions of its natural habitat: rocky limestone ledges and alpine screes swept by winds, between 2,000 and 3,500 meters in altitude.
The flowers, disproportionately large compared to the foliage, are a delicate blue-violet to blue-lavender, borne solitarily at the top of very short flower stems, with straight and relatively short spurs. This disproportion between the ample flower and the tiny foliage gives the plant an absolutely irresistible charm in the eyes of alpine plant enthusiasts and passionate rock gardeners.
In cultivation, Aquilegia jonesii is reputed to be one of the most difficult columbines to satisfy outside its natural environment. It requires absolutely perfect drainage, a poor calcareous substrate, a sunny exposure, and rigorous protection against stagnant winter moisture. It is considered a true challenge even for experienced rock gardeners, and its successful flowering in cultivation is a source of legitimate pride for alpine plant specialists.