Delphinium, larkspur

Delphinium blooming with blue and white panicles

Delphinium, also called larkspur, is an amazing plant that blooms from June to October.

Key Delphinium facts

Name – Delphinium
Family – Ranunculaceae
Type – perennial or annual

Height
 – 20 to 60 inches (50 to 150 cm)
Exposure – full sun
Soil – ordinary, well drained

Flowering – June to October

Sowing or planting are the only things to actually do for this plant, because delphinium require absolutely no care at all.

Sowing and planting delphinium

For perennial and hardy delphinium species

It is best to plant your delphinium in September for proper root development before winter and good growing back in the following spring.

  • Delphinium loves rich soil, feel free to amend it when planting with fertilizer or compost.
  • It loves emplacements that receive a lot of sun.
  • Avoid spots where the wind howls through, or else, simply stake the plant.
  • Keep a distance of 16 inches (40 cm) between plants.

Sowing annual delphinium cultivars

When sowing from seed, prefer sowing in fall or until spring while avoiding frost spells.

Enrich the soil with special flower plant soil mix and granulated organic fertilizer to enhance the blooming and make it more dense.

  • Expect to wait at least 4 weeks before being able to transplant to the ground.

Care for and pruning delphinium

Cut stems off after the blooming, this will trigger appearance of more new flowers.

For perennial delphinium, cut back to the shortest in fall and, if needed, protect the base in colder areas.

  • Delphinium don’t stand to the wind well if not staked.

Learn more about delphinium, larkspur

This cute plant bears distinctive long floral scapes that uphold beautiful white, blue or pink flowers.

Its great height, often taller than 3 feet (1 meter), makes it a good plant to settle at the back of a flower bed where it will produce an nice bushy backdrop.

It also makes for great bouquet flowers that will keep for a long time – even a bouquet of dried flowers!

Smart tip about delphinium, larkspur

  • Cut a few delphinium flowers off the bush in summer, and set them in a vase: you’ll be surprised at how long they last in such a bouquet!

Credits for images shared to Nature & Garden (all edits by Gaspard Lorthiois):
Close-up of the tall flowers by Lisa Ann Yount under Public Domain