Delphinium

Delphinium
Delphinium
Type: Perennials
Exposure: Sun / Part Shade
Water: Regular

Another old time favorite, the delphinium is an indispensable addition to a cottage garden or a garden for cut flowers. The leaves, which emerge in spring, are green and generally fan-shaped, deeply cut and have 3 to 7 pointy lobes depending on the variety. But the real show begins in summer when flower spikes packed with 1.5 to 2in (3.75-5cm) blossoms tower above the foliage, often to 6ft (1.8m) tall. The flowers can be single or double, and available in shades of pink, red, white, purple and just about every variation of blue imaginable. The eye or “bee,” as it’s sometimes called can also be different colors, which add to the impact of the flower. The tall stature of delphiniums make them a natural for the back of your perennial border, but also mean that they will probably need staking. Shorter varieties are available though.

Speaking of which, there are over 300 named varieties of delphinium available now, many of them part of a larger “group.” For example, there is the Pacific Hybrids group that range from 5-8ft (1.5-2.4m) tall, the shorter Belladonna group, growing only to 4ft (1.2m) high, and the English group with denser flower spires but attaining the same height as the Pacific Hybrids. All delphiniums prefer cooler summers, like we have here in the Pacific Northwest.

Note: The annual type of Delphinium is usually given the label “larkspur,” and is actually consolida ajacis.

Cheers,

John