Scientific Name:
Delphinium
(spp. & hybrids)
Pronunciation:
del-FIN-ee-um
Common Name:
delphinium
Family Name:
Ranunculaceae
Plant Type:
Flowering cut plant, Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Herbaceaous perennial with tuberous roots; leaves simple, alternate to basal, most palmately veined with 5-7 toothed lobes; flowers bilaterally symmetrical, petals usually 4-5, sepals showy and petal-like with the posterior one forming a spur.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Columnar
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Garden origin (mountainous areas world-wide except Australia)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Attract birds, Attract butterflies, Cut flower or foliage, Floristry, Perennial border, Summer interest, Tall background, Wild flower garden
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include Magic Fountains Series, and D. 'Blue Bird', D. grandiflorum 'Summer Blues'. Over 300 species, most tall and need support. Most common locally is D. elatum. Compare to Consolida which is annual and tends to have more highly dissected leaves.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate, Basal
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Fall:
Yellow, Brown
Shapes:
Orbicular
Apices:
Acute
Bases:
Cordate, Hastate
Margins:
Dentate, Incised, Serrate
Inflorescence Type:
Raceme, Floriferous
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Funnelform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Showy, White, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Red, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Jun, Jul, Aug
Additional Info:
or in spikes or rarely in panicles; mostly bilaterally symmetrical; some cvs. double-flowered
Fruit Type:
Aggregate fruit, Follicle
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
aggregates of 2 to 5 (= number of pistils)
Bark or Stem Colour:
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots, Leaf-like bracts, Tuberous roots
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Other:
dead head spent flowers, clean media or disease free soil required
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Crown rot, Fungal leaf spot, Leaf miner insect, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Root rot, Rust, Slugs or snails, Stem borer insects (Deer resistant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- HORT 1193/1293
Location(s):
- (BED) BEDding, container, or basket
- (GNH) GreeNHouse
- (NRY) NuRserY