[1] Aquilegia viridiflora is a herbaceous perennial[4] growing to 15 to 50 cm (5.9 to 19.7 in) tall, with hairy or glandular stems which often branch towards the top.

It produces 3–7 nodding flowers measuring 1.5–2 cm (0.6–0.8 in) across which are either yellowish-green (in the variety viridiflora) or dark purple (atropurpurea).

[11] Aquilegia viridiflora is native to Japan, Mongolia, Russia (Buryatia, Tuva, and Zabaykalsky Krai in southern Siberia and the Amur Oblast in the Russian Far East[12]), and to the Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Hubei, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, eastern Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces in northern China.

It grows in forests, grassy slopes, in damp places and by streams, at altitudes between 200 and 2,400 m (660 and 7,870 ft).

[5] Aquilegia viridiflora flowers from May to July,[5] and is pollinated by early spring bees of the genus Anthophora.