The Greek work 'delphinium' translates to dolphin. The dolphin-like shape of this plants buds has earned its Latin name. Carolina larkspur is a south-eastern native perennial wildflower in the Ranunculaceae family. It can be found growing on rocky, limestone glades. Its preferred location will include dry alkaline soil in full sun. Not being heat tolerant, it may disappear as the temperatures climb and reappear as the temperatures cool. The blue flowers make this plant a favorite of bumblebees. As a species, bumblebees are more adapted to visually see blue, ultraviolet and yellow wavelengths. The coloring of the Blue Larkspur is a bumblebee magnet. The flowers appear on a raceme with up to 30 to 40 flowers. They bloom over a 3 to 4-week period in late spring to early summer. The plant will then become dormant. Do to the long raceme, this plant may need to be staked. Considered a short-lived perennial, it does however, reseed itself. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Crown rot, botrytis blight, leaf spot and powdery mildew are diseases to watch out for. Aphids, mites, stem borers, leaf miners, snails and slugs are insects that can damage your plant. This plant does not transplant well. All parts of the plant can be toxic to humans and animals. More information on Delphinium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Occasionally Dry
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in. | Width: 0 ft. 8 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Clumping; Erect
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Gray/Silver; Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Linear
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Each plant contains both basal leaves and leaves along the upright stem. The stem leaves are similar in appearance to the basal leaves except that they get smaller as they ascend the stem. The leaves are divided and lobed. The 4" basal leaves can form a rosette in the winter months prior to the flowers appearing.
Flower color
Blue; Purple/Lavender; White
Flower value
Long-lasting; Showy
Flower form
Raceme; Spike
Flower shape
Irregular
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Blue-violet flowers appear in on 6" to 1' long spikes with clusters of flowers in mid-spring to early summer. The flowers have 4 petals. The sepals may have a green patch near its tip.
Bloom time
Spring; Summer
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Follicle
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
After flowering, 3 seedpods or follicles that will replace the flower. They are joined together at the base. They will split open to release its seed. First green, they will turn slight brown as they ripen.
Stem color
Green; White
Stem detail
The greenish/white, erect, unbranched stems have a fine downy feel. The central stem ends with a raceme of flowers.