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Delphinium elatum
Also called Alpine Delphinium, Bee Larkspur, Alpine Larkspur
Candle larkspur is a tall, upright perennial with spikes of blue or purple summer flowers, widely bred into cultivars in many colours. It needs a sheltered full-sun spot, deep rich soil and staking to keep its flower spikes upright.
Delphinium elatum is a species of flowering plant in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, known by the common names alpine delphinium, bee larkspur, or candle larkspur. It is native to temperate Asia and Europe, it is an erect herbaceous perennial growing to 1.8 m (5.9 ft), with deeply divided leaves. It produces spikes of blue or purple flowers in summer.
It is hardy down to −20 °C (−4 °F), but requires a sheltered position in full sun, and deep, rich soil. All plants must be securely staked to avoid the flower heads collapsing. Gloves should be worn when handling the plant, as it can cause severe discomfort if accidentally ingested.
Delphinium elatum is a source of many ornamental cultivars in a range of colours from blue and purple to pink, cream, and white.
Doubtful knight's-spur · Royal knight's-spur · Scarlet larkspur · Garden delphiniums · Siberian larkspur · Violet Larkspur · Rocky Mountain larkspur · Larkspur
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Delphinium elatum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
