Scientific Name:
Delphinium elatum
(incl. hybrid cvs.)
Pronunciation:
del-FIN-ee-um ee-LAY-tum
Common Name:
delphinium, perennial larkspur
Family Name:
Ranunculaceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, orbicular, 10-20(-30)cm wide, most palmately veined with 5-7 toothed serrate lobes; florets bilaterally symmetrical, 2-5cm wide, petals in two pairs, sepals larger, showy and petal-like with the posterior one forming a spur, tightly clustered in a long racemes above the foliage.
Habit:
Upright
Form:
Columnar
Texture:
Medium
Mature Height:
1.3 - 2.0m
Mature Spread:
0.6 - 1.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Central / west Asia, Europe (Mountainous areas world-wide except Australia)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 4: (-34 to -29 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Alkaline, Humus rich, 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, Woodland margin
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include D. 'Bellamosum' and D. 'Aurora Blue'. Most cultivars sold today are hybrids (D. x elatum).
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
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:
Green
Organ Modifications:
Fibrous-like roots, Leaf-like bracts, Tuberous roots
Propagation:
Seed, Cuttings, Division - below ground parts
Maintenance:
High
Other:
Staking usually required; dead head spent flowers; clean media or disease free soil required
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids or adelgids, Bacterial leaf spot, Crown rot, Fungal leaf spot, Leaf miner insect, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Root rot, Rust, Slugs or snails, Stem borer insects (Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant)
Specific Pests:
Course(s):
- CLT Training
- HORT 1193/1293
- Level 1 Apprenticeship
Location(s):
- (GNH) GreeNHouse
- (GRB) GRass Bed
- (NRY) NuRserY