Consolida ajacis seed

LATIN NAME: Consolida ajacis

COMMON NAME: Larkspur

Larkspur is the tall, stately, old-fashioned annual of the cool gardens, and its slender spikes of the spurred, blue, purple, pink or white flowers are one of the fine sights of the early summer. The finely divided, feathery foliage forms a strong, upright plant, and the dense, tall spikes of the spurred flowers rise above it, each flower with its long, slender spur at the back. It is a mainstay of the cottage garden and the cutting border, and a row of it in flower is a fine, spiky show. It is a generous, easy plant of the cool, sunny, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Larkspur has a steady place in the plant science, and the genus has been studied for a long time for the striking, spurred flowers and the chemistry of the plants. The long, slender spur at the back of the flower, which holds the nectar for the long-tongued bees and the hummingbirds, has been studied closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the pollination biology and the old garden annuals. The breeding of the tall, double-flowered garden forms is well documented in the horticultural journals, so the growing methods are reliable and well tested.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Larkspur is grown for the tall, stately spikes of the spurred flowers, and it is a mainstay of the cottage garden, the border and the cutting bed. The blue, purple, pink and white flowers pull in the bees and the butterflies, and the tall spikes are a fine, long-lasting cut flower. It is a generous, easy annual that asks for the cool, sunny, well-drained ground, and it sows itself around freely to return year after year. It has been written up in the horticultural papers for its fine, spiky show, and it is one of the easiest of the old garden flowers to grow.

Larkspur has been a familiar of the cottage gardens of the cool old world for a very long time, and the tall, stately spikes of the spurred flowers are one of the fine sights of the early summer. The long, slender spur at the back of each flower holds the nectar for the long-tongued bees, and the blue, purple, pink and white flowers pull them in from all around. The finely divided, feathery foliage forms a strong, upright plant, and the tall spikes are a fine, long-lasting cut flower. It is a generous, easy annual that asks for the cool, sunny, well-drained ground, and it sows itself around freely to return year after year.

To grow the larkspur from seed, press the small, dark seeds into the surface of pots of moist, free-draining soil and leave them barely covered, then keep the pots in a bright, cool, open spot and water gently. The seedlings are up within a couple of weeks and grow on into strong, upright plants, disliking the disturbance, so sow them where they are to bloom if you can. A cool, sunny, well-drained spot will bring the tall, spiky, spurred flowers through the early summer.

Rocket Larkspur Mixed Colors Delphinium Consolida Ajacis is a herbaceous annual native to southern Europe. If started indoors, Rocket Larkspur seeds have to be wrapped in a wet paper towel and placed in a refrigerator for 1-2 weeks prior sowing outdoors. Also called Annual Delphinium, Consolida Ambigua, and Delphinium Ambiguum, Rocket Larkspur produces tightly compact blossoms that are arranged on spikes in shades of pink, white, and deep blue, and its flowers are distinguished by a backward projecting spur, formed by the upper petal of the flower. Delphinium Ajacis develops quickly, shooting up like a rocket, hence its common name.

Rocket Larkspur is a delightful and easy to grow garden favorite which is best suited for flower beds and borders where it may self-sow year after year. Delphinium Ajacis seeds can be started directly outdoors in fall, and the established Rocket Larkspur grows best in full sun to partial shade in very well-drained soils. Because of its tall, upright, colorful flower spikes, Rocket Larkspur makes a wonderful plant to accent any cut flower arrangement.

PLANT PROFILE
Season: Annual
Height: 36 Inches
Bloom Season: Summer/Fall
Environment: Sun/Partial Shade
Soil Type: Rich/Average/Moist well-drained, pH 6.1-7.3

PLANTING INSTRUCTIONS
Sow Indoors: Winter/Spring (4-6 weeks before last frost)
Sow Outdoors: Fall
Seed Depth: 1/8 Inch
Germination Time: 14-28 Days