Delphinium

LATIN NAME: Delphinium

COMMON NAME: Larkspur

The larkspur is a tall, stately, spire-flowered perennial of the gardens, and its dense, upright spikes of the many blue, purple, pink or white flowers have made it one of the most striking of the border plants. It grows as a perennial or an annual herb, reaching up to a metre and a half or more, with the tall, erect, branching stems bearing the alternate, finely divided, palmate leaves and, through the early summer, the dense, upright spikes of the many spurred, blue, purple, pink or white flowers, followed by the small, dry capsules of the many fine seeds. It is a species of the flowering plant in the buttercup family, and it is native to the northern temperate regions of the world, while it is grown in the gardens, and it is known as the larkspur or the delphinium.

The larkspur belongs to the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, and it is a species of the perennial herb, native to the northern temperate regions, while it is grown as a border plant, and it is known as the larkspur. It is prized for its dense, upright spikes of the many spurred, showy flowers.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

The larkspur has a real and distinguished place in the research. It has been studied in the horticulture, since its dense, upright spikes of the many spurred, showy flowers have made it a celebrated plant of the border, and researchers have examined its growth, its flowering and its many cultivars, while its stately spikes have drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a plant of the border. The plant has also been studied in the botany, since it is a native of the meadows of the northern temperate regions, and its relationships, its distribution and its role in the meadow have been examined, while the ecology of the meadow plants of the region has been of continuing interest. The species has also been studied in the chemistry of the natural products, since the larkspurs contain a range of the potent compounds, and researchers have examined these constituents, while the chemistry of the delphiniums has been of continuing interest, and the plant is best appreciated as a subject of study and of the garden rather than a casual remedy, and the whole plant is best left well alone. For a flower of such stature, the larkspur has a rich and continuing record of study.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Ecologically, the larkspur is a generous plant of the garden. Its dense, upright spikes of the spurred, showy flowers feed the bees and the many insects, and its tall, leafy stems give a bold, vertical presence to the border through the early summer.

Its economic value is real. The larkspur is prized for its stately, long-spired bloom, and its beauty has drawn attention in the international horticultural press as a plant of the border, while its tall, dense spikes have also made it a valued cut flower of the garden. It is a plant to grow with care, as its seeds and its foliage are not to be eaten, and it is best enjoyed as a beautiful flower of the border. For a grower, the larkspur is a rewarding and striking plant, and for a gardener it brings a dense, upright, spurred, stately spike through the early summer. The seeds are easy to start — give them a short period of cold, damp storage in the fridge, then sow them just below the surface of a pot of moist, free-draining soil, keep them lightly watered, and they’ll be sprouting steadily, growing on into a tall, stately, spur-flowered plant.

Bloom Color:

Shade of Blue, white, pink, and purple