Larkspur Plant

The Larkspur plant is also known as Delphinium, the official name for this genus in the Ranunculaceae family. The Larkspur is native to the Northern Hemisphere and the tropical mountainous regions of Africa, and it gets its unusual nickname from how its petals mature. Most species of Larkspurs have petals that grow together to form a hollow pocket that develops between 2 and 5 “spurs” near the tip of this pocket. The scientific designation of Delphinium also refers to this unusual shape, with the name chosen to describe this spur instead of a dolphin’s graceful arch. 

Larkspur is a prairie perennial native plant.

 Larkspurs come in a wide variety of species. Some varieties that originally are found in forests are tall, hearty plants. These species produce bountiful flowers with long stems up to 2 meters tall. Other varieties from prairie habitats are much shorter, with short stems as small as 10 centimeters for some varieties that only develop very few flowers. Another notable characteristic of the Larkspur plant is its leaves. The Larkspur sports between three and seven deeply lobed, palmate leaves, with the size and number of lobes varying for each species. The color of this gorgeous plant most often presents as a blue hue, but its coloration can vary from rich purples and bright blues to even yellows, reds, and whites. Most varieties of this unique plant share a similarly designed seed. However, that is typically small, black, and usually shiny. 

Larkspur is a spring blooming perennial

 Most varieties of Larkspurs flower anywhere from late spring to late summer, making them the perfect plants to provide beautiful blooms during the warmest months of the year for most gardeners. Pollination for Larkspurs is completed with local bumble bees and butterflies, familiar visitors to green spaces with bountiful blooms like those found on this flowering plant.