Perennial of the Ranunculaceae family, this white-flowered cultivar of the Rocky Mountain columbine offers a pristine version of a species naturally adorned with blue and white. The type species, native to the Rocky Mountains of North America, from New Mexico to Montana, is emblematic of alpine meadows and high-altitude forest clearings, where it grows between 1,800 and 3,500 meters. It is also the official flower of the state of Colorado.
The 'Alba' cultivar is distinguished by its entirely white flowers, of great purity, with spreading sepals and tubular petals extended by long straight and slender spurs, characteristic of the species, which can reach 5 to 6 cm in length. This remarkable length of the spurs is an adaptation to pollination by long-tongued sphinx moths in its natural habitat.
The habit is upright and airy, reaching 50 to 70 cm in height, with finely divided biternate foliage, of a glaucous and tender green, forming an elegant basal clump. Flowering occurs from May to July.
It requires fresh, well-drained soil, rich in humus, in a sunny to semi-shaded exposure. It combines admirably with bluish or pink perennials in natural-style massifs and prairie gardens, where its luminous whiteness brings lightness and freshness.